


Give // Take

by pok3d3x



Series: Oath of the Gaywatch [6]
Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Feels, The Gatewatch (Magic: The Gathering)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 143,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22267492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pok3d3x/pseuds/pok3d3x
Summary: Sequel toStitch in Timeand final installment of the series,Give // Take. Updates every other Friday!Ral and Jace may be back from the timewalking misadventure, but their story isn't quite finished yet. Alongside them, The Gatewatch is finally growing comfortable settled on Ravnica. There is still room to improve in their teamwork, but they are ready to start reaching out, and hope to bring peace to the Multiverse.
Relationships: Chandra Nalaar/Nissa Revane, Gideon Jura/Ral Zarek, Jace Beleren/Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren/Gideon Jura/Ral Zarek, Jace Beleren/Ral Zarek, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Oath of the Gaywatch [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/608746
Comments: 139
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks everyone for tuning in! I'm so excited to share this story with all of you. This project has been planned since I started reaching the halfway point of Stitch in Time, and I began really fleshing it out as I finished that work. I've been in a bit of fever pitch to get this in a posting-worthy state, so I would really appreciate any feedback you have to give. Getting hit by wave after wave of disappointing news from WotC has been more than a little demoralizing, but let us fans group together and share our passion for the narrative they abandoned.

It was late at night, and Jace was pouring over a well aged tome. It would have seemed completely normal had he not spent the last two months traveling on foot, often looking for his next hot meal, and spending every night with another at his side. It should have felt completely normal.

This had been his normal night for years.

This night seemed particularly lonely, and he couldn't help but feel that was because his normal had shifted. Jace closed the ancient tome and sighed. His gaze swept to the much less impressive journal he'd kept during his timewalking journey.

Picking it up and letting it fall open to the page he'd marked with the attached string, he began traveling through the notes backwards. He didn't stop until he got the Simic notes of his first day with the journal.

Jace had been rather mad that day, and he could remember the flashes of anger that made the letters and small scribbled drawings a little more angular at points, and the determination to capture all he saw, because perhaps if he wrote long enough, he could find himself past the anger and hurt.

It had worked.

The journal had continued to remain useful during the trip. Relieving stress and providing something productive for him during the weeks of recovery. Now it stood as a happy reminder of their meandering trip, a novel enough journey to garner nostalgia even through its tribulations.

A cold presence strode into the library, a powerful mind wrapped under such tight control it would barely register to Jace except for how familiar it was. "Lili," he greeted, feeling a little more comfortable with her presence after seeing a future where they had fully reconciled and getting his apology off his chest. Maybe he could apologize to her tonight and begin that very process—

"Jace, dear, reading at this hour? It's almost dawn and I overheard Lavinia say you have an early meeting."

Jace's expression soured at the pet name and the tone of her voice that made it clear she was here to play with him. He averted his gaze and said nothing as she walked all the way up to him, close enough she barely had to reach to place a cool hand on his shoulder.

"This library echoes, you know," Liliana said softly, leaning in near his ear so he could hear her.

Shame burned in Jace's stomach, and his cheeks grew warm. "Your point?"

"You were always the loud one."

The hint of a blush intensified and Jace quickly said," That is hardly relevant n—" His voice died on his lips as she leaned against his back and curled an arm around his front.

"Don't you remember the good times," she purred, dragging a hand against his chest.

The warmth between his legs told him he did.

"Please, Lili. I think you've made it clear that we don't have anything left," he ground out, equally aroused as he was frustrated and angry. It wasn't fair for her to lead him on like this when that night of chess had clearly reinforced she was interested in nothing more than playing around.

As much as he knew this though, he couldn't fight the attention she was giving him.

She was pulling his chin so she could kiss him, and he wanted to say no… but he couldn't bring himself to. He was building the will to say no, he was, he was trying to, he was afraid what she'd say if he did…

A loud clattering of a decorative suit of armor falling startled them both and he stood quickly, jarring her away in the process. 

"I should check on that," he blurted out. "You can stay in my guest room tonight. I won't make you walk back at this hour."

He awkwardly waved her goodbye and left before she could trap him again.

~~  
~~

Liliana entered the kitchen of Jace's home, looking to find some coffee. She found an elf instead.

Nissa must have noticed her entrance despite being faced away, setting a kettle of water on the stove. Her ears twitched and drooped, cued on to who was entering by the way she walked in.

"Hello," Liliana started amiably. The last time they had spoken alone came to mind and she felt the unthinkable need to explain herself. "I just came in for coffee."

"By all means," Nissa said softly, forfeiting the chance to kick Liliana out. Her focus remained on the kettle.

Liliana set to filing coffee grounds into the Izzet coffee maker, missing her press she left behind on Innistrad after dealing with Emrakul. She hadn't had the time to collect small trinkets of convenience.

The silence grew awfully thick, even for Nissa, and she looked over to Liliana furtively, then let her eyes skirt back to her tea in the making. She'd heard what went on last night. It wasn't okay. Nothing was okay, and she'd made a promise to herself to be more active and _make_ things okay.

"You need to tell Jace that it's okay—that it's good—for him to move on. You need to let him get over you."

"Oh, please. Whether he gets over me is hardly under my control."

Nissa looked over to Liliana with a deceptively neutral expression. Liliana had to fight the rare urge to fidget under someone's gaze.

"I suppose I need to talk to him about chess anyways," Liliana said, not even trying to hide she was conceding to Nissa's assessment.

~~  
~~

It had been three weeks since they returned to their proper time, and outside of Guildmeets, Jace could count the number of times he saw Ral on one hand. He knew the artificer was easily distracted, and surely had as much to catch up on for their missing four days, but it was beginning to frustrate Jace that he seemingly wasn't worthy of Ral's time after how well they'd gotten to know each other—how well they'd found out they worked together. 

Seeing Ral was slow to get up from his stool after today's Guildmeet, Jace took a tentative step toward him. He wanted to say something, ask something, communicate in some way—any way—and see how Ral was doing. 

He apparently communicated something telepathically, because Ral looked over with cautious curiosity flickering at the attention. 

Casting any embarrassment aside for the relief that Ral paid him mind, Jace decided to take curiosity as an invitation and made his way over. "Hey," he said, trying to sound confident and fearing he let off more nervousness than anything. "Any projects you could use a second pair of eyes for? F-for math or note taking or…"

Jace fell silent as he realized he never gave Ral a chance to answer. Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Ral grimaced as he averted his eyes and shrugged. "I don't have much going on right now."

"Oh…"

The defeated slouch Jace's shoulders took made Ral hedge a bit, and he corrected himself," Nothing interesting, anyways."

"Well, I mean it's hard to top your last project in less than a month," Jace offered. 

Ral still looked like he was on the fence, and Jace pushed a little light heartedly," Come on, it's been weeks since we worked together."

Ral finally got to his feet, conscious of how he'd naturally reached out for Jace's hand, and how Jace's hand had been there ready. Ral folded his arms uncomfortably, and opened his mouth to refute Jace's point, but what was there to actually fight in the claims he'd made? Face screwing up, he clamped his mouth shut.

"I know you want to get back to your lab—" Jace had planned on finishing that statement with something to the effect of _and if you don't need me, that's fine_.

Instead, Ral cut him off with," Stay out of my mind."

The sudden pique and defensiveness almost bowled Jace over, and Jace innocently replied," I just meant because I know you, I didn't…"

"Right," Ral snapped, burying his face in one hand and saying," Fine, sure. Whatever. You can come over."

Where had that outburst come from, Jace worried. He'd thought Ral was over the paranoia he'd initially had that Jace would relentlessly pry into his mind unbidden. That he so quickly rose his walls and suspected Jace of ignoring his privacy made the mind mage's stomach drop a little.

"If you don't want me to…"

Ral pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "No, really. It's fine. Just having a rough day." He'd told himself that everyday for years at this point, but the last few weeks had been especially taxing. 

The travel to Ral's lab was simple, a path they'd both walked plenty at this point with how much time they'd put into figuring out timewalking. They'd slid right into routine so naturally, that Jace's worry that Ral had grown bored of him or worse was starting to fade. It was true that this project was significantly less interesting than timewalking, but Jace was just glad to be working on something with the other again. He'd never kept many friends around, and in fact, the Gatewatch had been intimidating and tiring to invite into his home at first… but he liked the peace of mind he experienced working by Ral's side. The other's convoluted storm of a mind was comforting, and he always loved a new puzzle; they didn't have to decide the fate of an entire plane every time they met up.

Everything was going fine until Ral signalled him to delve into his mind to better understand a verbal command he'd given the inexperienced engineer. Jace carely reached in and lit upon the obvious place Ral wanted him to read. He was just understanding what Ral had meant when he said 'adjust the manaline to a Crivix configuration', when the electromancer dropped the heavy tool he'd been prying open the casing with and Jace had to snap his hands back to make sure he didn't lose them.

"Stop!" Ral yelled, color rising in his cheeks at the sheer volume and intensity. "Get out," he cried, somewhere between desolate and furious. He reached for the device he'd actually spent the last few weeks working on, a silly looking helmet forged of mizzium.

Jace hadn't been reading Ral's mind past the designated piece of skill transfer, but he had left his consciousness pressing against the electromancer's mind, as they'd established to be the norm a long time ago. His jaw dropped at the sudden silence his mind found. The constantly buzzing storm had instantly become a void, completely imperceptible to Jace's extrasensory powers. 

The shock Jace felt didn't match the sudden, debilitating loneliness Ral experienced. He too had become used to Jace's presence, and taking him physically out of his life had hurt, but the silent mental absence Ral suddenly felt with the success of his latest invention tore through his already aching heart. 

"Fuck you," he cried. "Fuck you for making me feel alone in my own head." His voice was still loud and angry, but tears began to stream down his cheeks. He whimpered out more curses as Jace stared at him like a kicked puppy, finally breaking into coherent Rav again with," Get out of my lab!"

Jace floundered, unable to read anything from Ral. People got angry in a whole host of ways, and Jace was more than used to it being directed his way, but he had no clue what caused the outburst, and he couldn't read any sign as to how he was supposed to fix whatever caused Ral to snap. 

"I-I'm s-sor—"

"Shut up," Ral bellowed," shut up, shut up, shut up. Out!"

Jace raised his hands, partially in surrender, partially in defense as bolts careened through the air, unnaturally brought off path and drawn to lightning rods in the lab. 

"Get out of my lab," Ral repeated, breaking under the silence in his head and the guilt in his stomach. 

"Get out of my life." 

Jace was still staring at him with wide eyes, paralyzed with something akin to fear.

Ral tore the helm off and threw it hard down enough to dent the sturdy metal. "Out!"

The hurricane of emotions bombarded Jace all at once. He slunk backwards, away from the other's searing mind. "I'm sorry," he weakly offered, before turning tail and running away. Away from Ral's lab, from Nivix, and from the emotional onslaught he couldn't process, even as he reached the outskirts of the fourth precinct.


	2. Chapter 2

Liliana had invited him to tea at her place, and while initially guarded, especially after their recent encounter, he agreed when she implied she'd pushed too hard. The tea was good as anticipated, and the conversation was even light and somewhat reminiscent of their first days knowing each other. They talked of the times before he and Kallist had gotten so tangled with her to the point they were willing to strangle the other with her threads of control over them.

They had played a game of chess, this time not devolving into making out. They had actually held a conversation without her lacing innuendo into it endlessly. He managed not to fall into cheap flirting. It was a nice social call, but Jace cleared his throat as he finally decided he couldn't avoid the wurm in the room any longer.

"I never properly apologized… or thanked you for Innistrad."

"What's there to say really? We both have a habit of throwing the other under the carriage after the slightest suspicion it will benefit us. You were affected by madness great enough to fell the bloody angels." She shrugged off his attempt to say sorry. She felt a tad responsible for how it careened out of control, and sincere apologies had always made her uncomfortable.

"I know. And… I want a future where that's different. I've seen a future where… well… I don't want to spoil it or risk it."

"Future? Could you ever—Do you think you would ever trust me again? Fully? Like you did before you knew of Bolas?"

Jace smiled ruefully as he picked the dainty cup back up, but didn't take a sip. He wasn't entirely sure he knew how he'd answer until he opened his mouth.

"No, I really don't think I could. I've been used, taken advantage of, tricked into playing into other's hands countless times," he began softly, pausing for a sip of tea so he could perhaps figure out where he wanted to go from there in his statement. "But I've only ever been purposefully lied to once and not realized it, Lili."

Her lips pursed and her knuckles paled as she held her own teacup rather tightly. She had been expecting this response, but somehow she'd failed to estimate just how much it would hurt.

"Your mind is so—and, I mean this as fact and not some emotionally charged accusation—your mind is so twisted, that I don't think I could ever trust you after what happened between us," he continued. "Kallist is dead, Lili, and so many other friends I made, and they're dead because of you. You used me and had my friends killed because of me, and you tried to console me like you had no idea how it could have happened."

"You're right, of course," she said, trying to beat down the emotion rising in her voice as she batted tears away with a few quick blinks. Her nasty inclination towards petty, passive aggression reared its ugly head. "I did do all of that, and I suppose the terror of you ripping into my mind pales in comparison."

"I don't think I could trust you like I did before I knew of Bolas, but I don't think trust is entirely erased from our potential," Jace finally came to the conclusion, reaching it aloud before he knew his own feelings for certain.

"I have a lot of experience to gain, you have a century and a half on me easy. I certainly am at fault for much of Innistrad, and my searching you out was as ill-planned as I was ill-prepared… I broke under Emrakul's pressure, and I almost broke your mind as a result. I would have never been able to forgive myself. I shouldn't have returned."

"So you could have never forgiven yourself if you killed my mind," Liliana mused, collecting herself as she twirled a spoon through her tea with more interest than it truly warranted. "But you couldn't forgive me for how I played with yours? I can't figure out if you like me or hate me."

Jace sighed as he thought over her words, the recent past, and the distant past. He shook his head as he said," I don't think I can forgive you as you are, but maybe I could forgive who you will become. You're making a change for the better, Lili, being with the Gatewatch. I can't figure out what your ulterior purpose for joining is, but regardless, you're doing good work."

Their eyes met, and she didn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek in her pained shock. Somehow being told he was proud of her progress hurt more than if he had left the premises yelling. "Jace…"

"Lili, I know I talk a lot. What do you think? About all of this? How we can trust each other after all we've done to each other. I left you, waiting for my return after dealing with Tezzeret. I only sought you out after all these years because I needed your help with another one of my puzzles I got caught up in. I pried into your mind so forcefully, so painfully… I left you bleeding and let you comfort _me_."

"Hey, for someone who just acknowledged he talked a lot and asked my thoughts, I haven't heard much of my own voice," Lili ribbed gently. Taking his sheepish silence as relenting control of the conversation to her, she said," You were right in saying we've both done so much to the other to garner distrust. 

"You have hurt me immeasurably, but only because I have traded the same pain when you laid your trust in me and I traded that for power… I… regret a lot of what has happened between us, on both sides. And I regret how it affects us and continues to.

"And I regret to say that this muddled history and trust and pain means… I should back off. I haven't been doing a very good job of letting go," she finished, composed on the outside, but stomach twisting as she bowed to Nissa's advice.

"Oh," he dumbly said. "Yeah, I guess." Wasn't he supposed to be relieved?

"Honestly, you're so pathetic. Here you have three people pining after you, and you're still moping about like you're incapable of being loved and will die alone."

"Huh…? Th-three?"

"You've been leading Gideon on for weeks—and that poor Ral guy you dragged here? He's absolutely _smitten_ with you, and you would think you were barely friends from how you paid him mind."

"Ral?" Jace's stomach turned over as he remembered their last time in the lab together. "I don't think—"

"No, you overthink," Liliana corrected, then added with a snap," Or you leap to extremes at the drop of a hat."

Jace pouted, but he found it hard to argue.

"What about the third one?" Jace asked, understandably distracted by the potential people might actually like him back.

Diffidently, Lili checked her manicured nails and asked," Do I need to do _all_ the work for you? And anyways, Ral and Gideon are a handful by themselves." It hurt a little that he had clearly sorted her out of potentially caring partners, but after her talks with Nissa, Liliana was beginning to find this assessment fair, especially after her own concession that she should quit playing with his feelings and how much it had felt true in her own words.

"Ral is a handful by himself," Jace corrected, then busied himself with also looking at his hands. If what she was saying was true—and that was a big if—then he had some important things to discuss with people he'd been putting off discussing anything important with for quite some time.


	3. Chapter 3

"Zarek?"

The storm mage's head raised in surprise, and he quickly rubbed his tears away with his arm in one rough pass. "What," he forced out, self-conscious of how raspy his voice was. He'd been sobbing earlier, and he didn't want anyone to know.

"What are you doing here?" The voice was unmistakingly Emmara's, and Ral felt bare before the elf that probably knew him better than most non-planeswalkers. They'd only hung out a few times since his return from timewalking, but she was a frustratingly good listener.

Quickly getting to his feet, legs tingling from almost two hours of sitting on his feet, Ral turned around and quickly said," Nothing. Just passing through, you know?" The forced nonchalance wasn't working, and Ral's face pinched as he acknowledged she would be able to tell just how upset he was.

"I just… You know, I was walking through, and…" He tried to alter his statement and make it more believable, but his mind that usually offered him so many ideas was being useless and drawing a blank when he desperately needed it.

"Nivix is a good hour's walk from here," Emmara said quietly, drawing near and kneeling beside where he had been. She bowed her head before the relic Ral had been facing and offered a soft prayer fervently. It was on the edge of the clearing closest to Vitu-Ghazi, her home and the religious city-tree of her people.

"What are _you_ doing here, anyways? It's like—" He had completely lost track of time, he realized. "—really late."

"Is it unusual for me to tend to my congregation's glade? Tonight's the new moon; I must refresh my glade for orisions tomorrow."

He knew she was a higher up in the conclave, but he never realized she was a leader of prayer. He suddenly felt very silly for not knowing, and very stupid for happening to pick her glade in particular.

"Shit. How could I forget stupid orisons," he muttered under his breath, planting his head in his hand. Orisons had always been one of his least favorite days of the month, the day when everyone _had_ to go to the glade and plea for good health for all and other stupid well wishes upon Ravnica.

Emmara quietly stood, ignoring the admittance he made of knowing Selesnyan faith. "Would you lend me a hand?"

"Uh, sure," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was still sniffling, and he didn't want to give way he wasn't at his best by awkwardly denying her request and turning tail. He silently held his hands out as she whispered herbs and branches into being and begun to harvest the small, holy crop and hand them to her recently roped in assistant.

After a lengthy process that soon turned into him holding a large leaf bundling almost a pound of various herbs, Ral uncomfortably followed her around as she set to arranging everything for the morning.

He was surprised by how much he remembered from being a glade attendant in his youth, fairly accurate in which herbs he handed her next as they weaved an enchantment that supposedly rejuvenated the sector's fertile soil and encouraged well-being in those who sought it. Tomorrow would be the strongest time of month to seek riddance of curses and simple healing of broken bones and other ailments that didn't require the Simic's consideration.

"I thought maybe it would help," Ral whispered as Emmara took the last of the bundle from him and finalized the enchantment that would take hours to seep into the ground and offer its benefits. "Like my parents always wanted it to."

She looked to him, feigning ignorance of whatever he could possibly be talking about. Emmara was familiar with the look of someone coming to grips with faith and its role in their life, and how intimidating it could be for someone to press at it before one even knew how they felt about it.

"I guess I thought maybe I never gave it enough of a chance as a kid, you know? A lot changed when I left—when I joined the Izzet," he nearly implied his planeswalker status, forgetting for a second that despite being such close friends with Jace, she didn't and couldn't know of planeswalkers.

"But it doesn't do anything for me. I chanted all the dumb prayers, and searched, I really, really searched for that higher power they always nagged me about seeking, but I felt nothing. It was empty for me," he continued, angry tears collecting and causing his eyes to glint in the magical light the enchantment was starting to encourage around them.

"Maybe it's just 'cause I'm not worth saving, but I can't bring myself to believe any of this minotaur shit they forced me to follow. I wanted that harmony I've always been promised, but Mat'Selesnya offered me nothing. I can't build this stupid relationship with her like everyone else. I can't just offer my… my—"

"Faith," Emmara supplied.

"Yes," Ral forcibly agreed, tears spilling that he hastily tried to catch with his calloused hands.

"The Conclave isn't meant for everyone," Emmara said. "It takes unity and concord that goes beyond that of what many can manage. It takes a daily affirmation that you want to give yourself to the unity the chorus offers and there's no room for half-heartedness."

He scoffed and said," I can't blindly follow something I can't see and reason with. Math makes sense. It will be the same no matter what, but faith…? How can I reason with this vague sense of purpose I'm just _told_ to believe in. There's no proof."

"Faith is believing even when you have no proof other than your own trust and confidence," she said," There is no reason other than your devotion. But we don't blindly follow, She sings a chord that every follower hears, a triumphant chord that eases the pain in our hearts and actualizes our ability to ease the pain in others'."

"But what does the Conclave offer that just being a good person doesn't?" Ral argued, quick to crank up his dampener's threshold as sparks began to arch from shoulder to shoulder and down his limbs. "Any asshole can decide to feed the poor or tend to the sick."

"But this harmony they offer us gives a unified path, a community to lean on in hard times and one to do the most good that just 'any asshole' couldn't accomplish by themself. We do Mat'Selesnya's work in tandem to bring about the image She wanted of happiness and wellness for all."

Ral rolled his eyes at this. "Happiness for all?" A bark of incredulous laughter left him, and his voice grew loud as he asked," How does happiness for all come from exclusion of one who didn't fit the mold, who could never fit in if he tried?"

She took his angered yelling in stride and calmly said," A true member of the Conclave recognizes every walk of life, every person no matter their station or belief, is worthy of love and acceptance. I'm sorry it took the fall of the guilds to remind so many of us."

The dissolution of the Guildpact had ended… poorly for most members of the Conclave to put it lightly, and forced most of their congregation to practice in private. The past few years had been its first resurgence, and Emmara had dutifully accepted her call, grateful for the changes that had been enforced, or more accurately, the return to more closely emulating the Guild's history.

"Wh-why are you apologizing to me? I have nothing to do with—This is just a hokey religion I thought I'd check out because… I was bored and… Whatever." He still couldn't formulate his thoughts or excuses, and he quickly decided he should just leave. He found none of the peace he'd hoped to find, and he only reaffirmed his suspicions that there was nothing he could bring himself to believe about this stupid religion.

As Ral strode past her quickly, Emmara felt the tension in the air and smelled the faint odor of ozone that trailed him sometimes after a particularly heated argument in a Guildmeet. Or perhaps, when dealing with emotions he was struggling to contain—something hard enough he was willing to turn to a religion he hated if it would offer any relief.

"I'm sorry the Conclave can't bring you the peace you'd hoped it might, but perhaps a friend could?"

Ral stopped in his tracks, almost near the entrance of the expansive glade. His footsteps had left burnt grass, and as he stood in place, sparks dispersing through the ground beneath him lit a few patches that quickly settled to regrowth as the powerful enchantment they'd weaved together began to heal the damage he left.

A bitter laugh echoed in the clearing, followed by a wheezing breath and another cruel mockery of laughter. "I don't have friends," he retorted. "I have rivals and underlings and whatever you annoying diplomats would be considered. Colleagues? If you can be called such without even being able to parse a Crivix problem."

His shoulders shook, but no sound accompanied the ragged motion. He was trying his hardest to control his breathing.

"Zarek…"

"And one pesky annoyance that can't seem to stay away from me, that I can't think of as a friend," Ral added miserably. "I've tried, but I can't, and it hurts so much."

"Ral," Emmara called more personally," I've come to think of myself as your friend."

"Why?"

The simple question surprised her, and she had to take a moment to collect herself for a proper answer. They had only gotten tea together before or after Guildmeets, but she appreciated his wry humor and had worked hard to bring it out. "As much as we often don't get along, can't you feel that amity we share? We understand each other, I think, and I'm willing to admit my respect and concern for you, even if you aren't willing to admit the same for me."

"Well then, you're stupid," he said, looking to his feet and trying to concentrate on not burning down her holy place. His feet were blurry, and the bright sparks he gave off lost focus through his tears and fuzzily dispersed.

"Stupid enough to have faith in something I can't prove?"

"Yeah." He didn't look up even though her voice had been coming closer. "Don't touch me," he warned as he felt her approach disrupt his static field.

"Okay."

He wasn't expecting such simple acceptance, and he had been in the process of turning around to make clear how serious he was before he realized she took him at his word. He wanted to oppose her. He wanted to fight. He wanted the satisfaction of pushing her away and validating the loneliness he felt.

Vines pushed on the back of his knees gently, and he hadn't realized how ready to give out they had been, but he fell back into a cradle of greenery without any more prodding, eased to sitting on the ground. She walked passed and sat across from him, her regalia pooling at her toes and forming a soft bell of cloth as she sat on her feet.

"What's really wrong?" She sat close enough to catch a few of the more erratic sparks, but she barely flinched at the painful shocks, blinking away even the most sharp jolts.

"I loved him," Ral admitted between soft sobs. Elbows on his knees and hands hiding his face, he cried quietly for maybe a minute before continuing. "And I mean, we loved each other. We—we kissed and talked about it, and— _It's not fair_. He lost all of it. His memories are gone, and I can't tell him, and he is blissfully unaware of what we had, but it hurts so much because I remember and I know what I'm missing."

Emmara didn't have to ask who. It was obvious. The sullen cast of his shoulders during Guildmeets had stood out, and she'd wondered what kind of argument they'd had. What wasn't so obvious was why Ral didn't just take the clear path and tell Jace—who could peer into his mind and fact check if he had any suspicion Ral was lying. "Why can't you—"

Ral anticipated her question and explained," I didn't promise—well, I didn't say it but I _did_ promise—I can't tell him. He can't know."

"Why?"

"I can't explain. Izzet matters," he said stiffly, deciding to file all of timewalking under Izzet concerns since she could understand loyalty to a Guild coming first, and he wasn't sure she could handle the knowledge that timewalking was possible.

Her face was drawn and sad, a look of understanding dawning ruefully.

"It's eating me up. I wish he would've just taken the memories away," Ral bit out, angry at past-future Jace for cursing him to this current plight.

"I can't imagine knowing something so unbearable I would ask to have my memories taken," Emmara began sagely, unaware she had ever done just that.

In a moment of pettiness, Ral wanted to spill the secret, tell her the truth about planeswalkers and how Jace had been hiding their existence from her, but he couldn't bring himself to go through with the impulse. He was surprised with himself, but he found he didn't want to cause her such pain, Jace such trouble, and in a moment of clearer thought, himself so much work.

"Oh yeah?" he instead apathetically prompted what he was sure would be a wise beyond her years explanation that she would expect him to take to heart.

"And love, even once it's over, must be cherished."

He scoffed at this, biting out," And just what of love do you know?"

"Calomir—" Her voice broke and the smallest ripple in her perfection caught Ral's attention. "Someone who pretended to be Calomir… I was in love, the kind of love poetry is written about, and a shapeshifter murdered him, took his form, and manipulated my people as him. I… I can't explain how much it all hurts. In one day, I found out the love of my life was dead, I'd been… speaking with his murderer for at least a month, and lost my place in the Conclave."

Ral stared at her astonishedly, not expecting nearly such a personal or painful story to come from left field. "I… That… Wow."

"I was welcomed back, and given their support to run the maze as their official maze runner," she said with a bright smile that lacked any enthusiasm, her words only half voiced as she finished," It was the hardest week of my life, but I overcame it."

Oh, and he had made that week even harder by driving a wedge between her and Jace after she had been abandoned by her entire order that she'd dedicated her whole life to. Wow. Okay. A roiling guilt began to flop in his stomach.

"I'm sorry," he offered awkwardly, not knowing how he was supposed to respond to something so deeply painful.

"But still, I'm glad I had Calomir, and as painful as it was to lose him, I would never ask to lose my memories of him."

"That's not it. I mean, we were together maybe a few days at most," Ral began, not sure of how to explain his situation that didn't include the murder of his partner after a long-lived relationship when it would almost assuredly be compared to something so much… more serious?

"It's just, I can't go back to how things were. It was killing me when I tried. It would be one thing if we didn't work out or I really _lost_ him, but he doesn't understand why his presence tears me apart and trying to be his friend kills me slowly."

It sounded ridiculous, like a childish problem, to his ears after the solemn tale of Calomir, but Emmara nodded sympathetically and said," That would be hard to deal with. I'm so sorry."

Ral regarded her like she was a touch crazy, and tried to downplay his pain immediately," But it's not like I have it as bad as you."

She shushed him and said," We're not trying to outdo each other in our misery. We're trying to find solace in someone who can listen and understand, and care for and wish each other better in the future."

Emmara held out a hand so it could easily be grasped or just as easily ignored. She didn't portray surprise as Ral took her hand, nor did she act superior as if she knew all along he would. She simply smiled warmly and squeezed back as his shaking hand clutched hers desperately.

"It will be okay. Everything will work out."

"You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yes."

That was one aspect of faith Ral was envious of, even if he thought the whole thing was ridiculous. Her religious devotion gave her hope, and he didn't have a whole lot of that right now. Maybe he could borrow some of hers.

The enchantment around them had steadily grown in luminescence, enough so that the break of dawn didn't make the world around them much brighter than it already was. 

"My convocation should come in about two hours. What do you say to grabbing a cup of tea before Orisons?"

Ral frowned, disliking the implied "we" for attending orisons. He didn't want to be forced into religious nonsense like he had been as a child. 

At the way his nose wrinkled, she laughed and said," I won't expect you to join me for Orisons. I just need to keep track of time so I'm back for them."

"Well, I guess that works for me," he said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

Her smile at his assent was enchanting, and Ral was struck by her beauty unlike he'd been before. She wasn't just visually stunning like Liliana, she was also a genuinely good person who really wanted the best for people, and it showed in her delicate smile. It was honestly kind of unsettling, since he couldn't help but compare himself to her, but he accepted the good will for now and went to have some tea with… a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Poor Ral... Leave comments and kudos to make him feel better :p


	4. Chapter 4

"Your form has gotten sloppy," Gideon commented as he easily parried Jace's lunge aside and followed with a quick lunge of it own, jarring Jace's shoulder lightly with his dull short sword, though roughly enough he worried it might bruise.

"Ah, yeah. I guess I haven't really practiced in weeks," Jace admitted after breathing in sharply, rubbing his shoulder with a bracing smile. They had been stranded outside of the present for two months, and it had been a few weeks since they got back. "There wasn't really time as we tried to figure out how to get home—to the right time."

They started back at a readied stance and exchanged a few more strikes and blocks. Jace grimaced as Gideon scored another hit, this time against his chest. He held up one hand and stood up as straight as he could to lessen the pain. "Sorry," he mustered through gritted teeth, eyes tearing up. "Recently broke a rib or two."

"You shouldn't be sparring with a—"

"Had it healed two weeks ago," Jace said in between slow, deep breaths. With a stuttering inhale that hurt more than it made him feel better, he looked Gideon in the eyes and tried to smile. The contorted look of pain on his face only made Gideon's concern deepen. "Just, uh, didn't realize it would still hurt so much."

"Even if you had a cleric look at it, you shouldn't be sparring for another week or two," Gideon said, completely aware he was the largest hypocrite to walk the Blind Eternities. He held out his hand for Jace's sword, not letting his insistent gaze falter until the other reluctantly relinquished the training weapon.

"Two more weeks shouldn't matter much after three—four?—months of no practice," Gideon said with a consoling pat to Jace's shoulder. Jace had seemed preoccupied after getting back from his timewalking journey, so Gideon hadn't pressed him. They'd passed in the library and made small talk over the last month, but he'd stuck to staying out of Jace's hair.

Jace nodded, but frowned. "I, well, I wanted to get back to training, and… It's been months since we really hung out from my perspective. I was hoping we could… talk."

Gideon's lips pressed thin as he looked away to find the training swords' places on his weapons mount. The man's mind was usually a quiet, stalwart presence to Jace, but some anxiety spiked behind Gideon's calm demeanor. Forcing a gentle smile as he looked back to Jace, he suggested," It would still be a good idea to stretch, if you wanted time to talk." 

"Yeah, that would be great."

"You'll have to let me know if anything makes your ribs hurt more. The last thing we want to do is collapse a lung," Gideon said, finding it easier to keep his expression light while focusing strictly on training.

Jace noticed the emotional distance Gideon was keeping, and couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. He tried to think back to what exactly would cause this coolness, but as he looked back, he confirmed he never actually got to the point of asking Gideon out, he'd only… "Oh," Jace said dumbly, as he began to blush. 

"Everything alright?" It was Gideon's turn to wonder what was going through Jace's head.

"Um, I'm sorry. I didn't think about…" In the many weeks he had been struggling to get back to the present with Ral, he had forgotten that the last time he'd talked to Gideon beyond rushed greetings, he'd asked Gideon to kiss his injured hand, _and he'd done it_. They had discussed feelings—Gideon had proposed acting on those feelings—and Jace had just… _left_. 

Then he'd spent almost three weeks being as absent as possible while working in Ral's lab—because that was easier than dwelling on and figuring out feelings—and without saying goodbye, had truly left.

Four days had passed during their journey in Gideon's perspective, and while that wasn't the longest sudden absence Jace had ever taken, three or four weeks of being ignored was a long time to let someone wonder. When he finally came back, he'd been aloof and focused on his broken friendship with Ral.

"I need to sit," Jace said, breathless and ribs hurting as his heart started pumping harder. He dizzily held out a hand to steady himself, and was grateful when Gideon took it and guided him to a bench.

Gideon sat beside Jace, still holding his hand and squeezing soothingly.

"What is it, Jace? How can I help?"

Jace was looking forward into the middle distance as he airily muttered," I'm an idiot."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I can assure you—"

Jace's eyes focused as he looked to Gideon and he shook his head and pulled his hand back. "No, I'm an idiot. Lili said I've been stringing you on for weeks, and she was right, and in all my weeks of timewalking— _I may have forgotten I never addressed our talk about possible feelings!_ " The last sentence was blurted so fast that the words blended together, and if he hadn't also conveyed it by thought, he probably wouldn't have been understandable at all.

"Ah, yes, well, that was a long time ago," Gideon said, charitably leaving off, _for you_.

Jace leaned forward, head in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. He felt nauseous, guilt roiling in his stomach. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry, Gideon."

Being such a tactile person, Gideon wanted to reach out to the other and rub his back or offer some sort of comfort, but the physical distance that Jace was currently wielding left him doubting if that was a good course of action. "Of course not. I mean, I acted so brashly that day. I figured—It's nice to hear it was—" Gideon paused, drawing out the consonant, and bobbed his head to himself as he settled for," an oversight."

An oversight… 

… That he'd left him in the dark for weeks over if he'd overstepped boundaries—after Jace had been the one to open the door and suggest he should act in the first place—was summed up as an oversight, _which was preferable_ compared to what he'd been thinking… Jace wanted to melt through the bench and floor to be absorbed into the rot of the Golari hunting grounds like he belonged.

Jace dropped one hand so he could look furtively over. He was trying to avoid relying on his mind magic, recognizing the potential it had to muddle an already painful situation. Biting his lip, he gave in a _little_ teensy bit because Gideon was good at wearing a stiff upper lip.

Gideon was looking down to his hands in his lap, wringing them slowly. Brushing against his mind revealed the hurt feelings he was trying to smother in more definition, and Jace winced. He tried to speak, but his voice was too thick and he had to clear his throat to find intelligible words. 

"It wasn't fair to you that I got swept up in frantic research and used it as a way to hide." A rueful grin came to his face as he admitted," I'm kind of a coward. Running away from a problem, especially the conversation type, is kind of what I'm good at."

He thought about how he'd left Lili after she helped him out of the Consortium's isolated prison, which she may have had coming but was still the coldest way to handle the situation. The way he'd stormed off from Ral several times instead of settling arguments with words wasn't healthy, and thinking of how _terrified_ he'd been the time Ral had done the same to him, Jace acknowledged he really had to work on that.

"Problem?"

Oh, right, problem didn't sound very good. "I meant that—Well, I'm not very good with words sometimes, and I was embarrassed and scared and—" Jace pouted and said a little more concisely," You deserve better."

"This isn't about what we deserve, it's about what we want," Gideon argued, wary that this was just going to be a rehash of how their last big conversation went. "And, as I said that day, I would like to try exploring these feelings."

Nervously running a hand through his long hair, Gideon confessed," I've never really tried this before, and I don't quite get it. But, if you were interested… I would like to try it with you."

"You don't get…?"

Gideon looked over, relieved to see that Jace was sitting more upright and, though a little nervously, was able to look him in the eye. "You know," he began, not entirely used to expressing his own experience or needs. "I've never understood people's crushes, I don't know—it often makes me uncomfortable to think about being… _with_ someone, or that they want to be with me, anyways."

His thoughts drifted to the myriad of times in his life that people had commented on his appearance with affected words and suggestive eyes, and the rise of discomfort it brought him. How many times had a fellow soldier made a lewd joke and Gideon failed to instantly get it? How many times had a soldier made a comment about another and Gideon felt like there was something wrong with him because he had never felt compelled to comment on someone's body like that? He couldn't be experiencing the world the same as his peers, at least not the ones who spoke up the most.

Some let it go easily, like Chandra, who was a good friend and accepted his disinterest in stride. However, many seemed upset and would get downright combative because he didn't echo their perceptions of the world and its inhabitants, for something as innocuous as his personal (lack of) dating preferences.

"It's different," Gideon started, looking to Jace and smiling at how the curiosity lit up his face and nearly drowned out the debilitating guilt of just moments before. He liked the innocently curious light in his eyes far better. "It's different with you. I like spending time with you, and I would like to try spending more time with you. Um, maybe intimately?" 

The irony that Gideon, who had just claimed to not experience crushes, was falling for him, who had more crushes than he had brain cells, made Jace chuckle softly despite the drama of current circumstance. His eyes darkened as the reality of the situation settled once more.

"Gideon," he said softly," I did feel that way about you—I mean, I _do_. I still feel that way. Things have gotten… complicated though. Because of my own doing, I recognize." He couldn't keep eye contact with Gideon as he watched the other's face fall.

"All that time I spent with Ral," Jace trailed off as the months of living together washed over him. "I can't shake the feeling that there's something there. That I should talk to Ral about if there's anything between him and myself. And you deser—" He carefully considered his words. "I need to talk to him before I can go forward with anything else, and I would hate to keep you waiting on me while any longer."

"You seem to get along really well with him," Gideon commented," You seemed quite excited to return his lab between every couple days of research. These past few weeks you've been noticeably sad, and you haven't been over to research as much. You should speak to him."

That hadn't been the words Jace expected out of the other, and especially not in their genial tone. His face pinched together in confusion as he asked," I meant talk to him about a relationship, and I thought you were interested in us…?" He felt a little silly as he realized he was gesturing a shaking finger between himself and Gids, and quickly dropped it.

"Are they mutually exclusive?"

Jace was a bright man. It was indisputable that his capacity for logic and fact accumulation was great enough that on rare occasion he could outsmart a dragon. Gideon's small, innocent question left him fumbling over words. "W-well, um, I mean, I just…"

"I guess I don't know the laws of this world. You're pretty beholden to them, aren't you? Is polyamory illegal here?"

"No," Jace answered, unable to quash his Guildpact tendencies to answer any question on law. "Most guilds recognize polyamory, and marriage of any two or more persons regardless of gender or species is a protected right of guildless citizens as dictated by—"

"I don't need the subsection," Gideon curtly offered.

"Right, of course," Jace mumbled sheepishly.

"I want you to be happy. I like seeing you happy, and you are with him. I like to think you would be with me, too, if you gave me the chance."

For all of Jace's _alleged_ vast intelligence, he was still hung up on the simple concept, and tried to clarify," Too as in 'as well' and not 'instead of'?"

"Yes? I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest something strange." Gideon hadn't thought it was possible to feel even more self-conscious than he had when they first sat on the bench, but he was finding it was indeed possible, as well as happening. He felt the need to justify himself, and quickly added," It's common on Theros, and I just thought—"

"Theros?"

A rise of dread made Gideon's stomach churn as he realized he'd named his home plane so casually. "Ah, a plane I spent many years on," he said a little quietly.

Jace wisely avoided speaking any further of Theros. Every walker had a plane that they'd be hard pressed to return to and a sorry tale as for why that was. He tucked the plane to the back of his mind though, interested to research it if he came across it in his readings.

"I hadn't really considered polyamory," Jace said honestly. "I've never been in a relationship that included more than two parties, but I guess it just never came up. I'm not _opposed_ to it."

"You don't need to make any decisions," Gideon told him. "You haven't even talked to Ral yet. I just… I'm relieved we talked. I'm glad we're talking again. I missed sparring."

"So did I," Jace said, the weight on his heart easing a little. "I should have just listened to Chandra. She told me to just talk to you that day, and this all wouldn't have unfolded like it did if I had."

"It would have certainly been easier on me," Gideon said with a hint of joking in his voice. "But we can't know what life will throw us until it already has. You couldn't have anticipated being stuck timewalking for so long."

"True, life has a funny way of unfolding how you least suspect it," Jace agreed. He certainly wouldn't have paid Ral the same mind if he had actually started dating Gideon, and he would have been a lot less willing to try out the timewalking gauntlet if he had someone waiting for him at home. Ral could have been stuck in the past and left for dead, all alone.

Jace sighed, then winched at his aching ribs. "I need to talk to him. There's a Guildmeet in two days, and I could catch him afterwards." He said this, though he didn't really know what he would say, especially after the last time he approached the man after a Guildmeet.

"Isn't that delaying talking to him like you did me? Can I expect an update in a month?"

Jace forgot how sarcastic Gideon could be since his quips were few and far between, but he had to admit Gideon gave Ral a run for his money when it came to the raw, savage punches of his dry wit. "I know it looks like that," he admitted, face pinching from how critically that comment landed.

"But, um, we had an argument the last time we hung out," Jace continued, the seriousness paving the way for a properly sombre expression. "I don't really know what I did, but I doubt I'm welcome back to his lab." Crestfallen didn't begin to describe Jace as he thought he may never get to run experiments with the electromancer again.

Gideon's hand was moving before his mind greenlit it, and he encompassed Jace's shoulder and squeezed gently. It was never easy to feel you were no longer welcome somewhere, especially when the place and the people there had brought brought you such joy. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Jace leaned into the touch. Inhaling and exhaling bracingly, Jace nodded to himself and said," But I'll talk to him. After the Guildmeet, I'll talk to him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I will be slowing down this hectic pace after this friday to wednesday updates only. I've got a lot of story to deliver, but chapters are getting longer and taking more time to compose and edit the further we get into this tangled narrative. I really look forward to hearing more from y'all!

Jace watched Emmara peel off from the Guildmeet table to speak with Ral, and was torn between pride and jealousy. He'd always felt they would be good friends if they gave it a chance, but he'd lost Ral as a friend, and now it felt like betrayal that Emmara chose Ral over him when he felt he was doing a pretty poor job of hiding his sulking.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jace beckoned Ral over, catching him just after most of the Guildmeet had left. Lavinia was dutifully by his side, only nodding and leaving when he signaled he didn't need her presence for this personal matter, and Emmara stayed over where she had approached Ral, now seeming very invested in a petite elemental she was crafting.

Ral looked over his shoulder and patted the table in a gesture of, _this will only be a moment_ , and begrudgingly headed over. He owed Jace a final vent in his direction if he was going to cut things off as he did. As he approached, he tilted his head and took in Jace's body language with some confusion. He didn't look upset so much as embarrassed now that Ral was coming near.

Trying to psych himself up to actually speak, Jace blurted the first sentence his brain offered. "Sorry, this may seem out of the blue, but she told me you liked me, and I thought—"

"She told you that we dated?" Ral balked, feeling his trust strangled sharply. He couldn't help but snap his hurt gaze to Emmara. "That was in confidence," he muttered under his breath.

Jace's brow line wrinkled with dubious confusion and he raised his hands at the outburst. "What? Date—? No, Lili said—"

Ral slowly pivoted back to Jace, a sheepish dread falling over him as they both had the air of connecting the dots etched into stunned expressions. _Liliana_ had observed he had feelings for Jace, because _of course_ she could tell he was a lovesick moron. Jace watched the other with his mouth agape. By the sweep of Ral's gaze and horrified question, he had obviously told Emmara they had _dated_.

Silence fell over them, as confusion lifted to sudden understanding. Staggered, Jace murmured," Is… Is that why you've been avoiding me?" His voice broke as he added," Why you kicked me out of your lab?"

Ral swallowed hard and checked that none of the other delegates had noticed their commotion on their way out. Emmara had. He could tell because while none of the others looked back as they entered the hallway across the spacious Guildmeet—he was fairly certain not even discreetly—one of Emmara's mice sized elementals had gone from propped on her shoulder, last he saw, to covering half the distance to Jace and him and trying to remain unseen against a chair leg.

"This is hardly the venue for this conversation," Ral said stiffly, trying to play it like they were talking impersonally, maybe about math. Throwing his voice a little, he continued," You can't talk mana differentials in conjunction with geometric amplifiers in a boring meeting hall. I'm pretty sure that is against some Izzet bylaw."

Jace was quick, and they had plenty of practice winging it together. His defensive posture relaxed, raising his arms to the side. "Then by all means, take me to a proper lab or classroom. I'm still pretty sure I have a basic understanding of physics under the pressure of dilated mana curves, but I'd love to see you prove me wrong while actually writing out your argument."

Ral had to ignore the flutter in his stomach at Jace's immediate grasp of current Izzet theory and grabbed his cloak roughly to drag him out of the room. It wasn't an unusual occurrence in front of the rest of the Guildmeet. Up until a little less than a month ago from their varied perspectives, Ral and Jace had been excitedly leaving and rambling science at each other after almost every meeting. One or two meetings, who was keeping track, of them _not_ doing so didn't stand out.

The small twining of branches with a flicker of some pseudolife took a step away from the chair and stopped, and Ral twisted his lips at that clear request. He tapped his head and felt the connection between Jace's mind and his open instantly, if hesitantly. He couldn't blame Jace for the trepidation after their last encounter.

" _Emmara wants to send an elemental after us to see how things go._ "

Everything was moving so fast, and Jace didn't have much time to examine the small crestfallen ripple that he waded into at the thought that Emmara had reached out to Ral and not him to ask permission. His eyes landed on the elemental half a breath after that bereft thought, and he admitted to himself she had asked both, but he hadn't noticed.

" _I guess that's fine._ "

" _It's probably to make sure I don't send ten thousand volts through the Guildpact's heart, honestly_ ," Ral downplayed. 

" _Or that she can at least revive him if you do, more so than stop such an occurrence_ ," Jace mused, latching onto the self-deprecating humor to keep calm through the bubbling questions burning through him.

After a few sharp corners, Ral let go of Jace, but walked a few more steps to put some distance between them. He adjusted the dials at his belt more to busy himself than to anchor his energy.

Jace felt the outside of Ral's mind, but was careful to take no step further. It was jagged and hurt and the storm was generating a million possible outcomes of this conversation. The mindmage wasn't thinking that far ahead though. He wanted to start simple. "We… dated?"

Ral brushed his hair back, letting his hands cradle the back of his head for a moment. Then, with a deflating sigh and sudden drop of his arms, he gruffly said," Yeah."

Scouring his memory and coming up with only possible allusions to such a connection, Jace narrowed his eyes at the deception of his own mind. Ral was being truthful, but… "When? H-how long?" Was this a precise removal of events? What could cause such a laser guided dissection of his memory this time?

"Not long. I mean, I'm not even sure we were really dating, but it was maybe going there?" Scratching the back of his head, he turned on one foot back towards Jace, but kept his gaze downcast. "Back on future Rav."

Oh, that couldn't have been long at all, but it clearly meant something to Ral, and Jace knew that it would have meant a lot to him. An impression of them curled up together on Innistrad floated before his focus, and a meaningful moment of expressing trust followed. It had been possibly going there, but it all stopped shortly after Innistrad. He stuttered as he admitted," I don't really remember our time in future Ravnica very well."

"I know."

"Because we hit the past next and…" Jace reached to the well-worn scar at his hairline.

"Snot-nosed you kicked the shit out of present you," Ral said a little flippantly.

"I do remember that! It was to protect you!" Jace snapped with a bit of a bite. He hated finding he'd lost or misplaced memories, but didn't need salt in the wound that it was to protect the very person who was giving him flac for it.

Ral bared his teeth guiltily and nodded," Yeah, you're not wrong. Kind of found out that for all the practice I thought I had, I'm kind of weak as a dragon's promise in protecting my own mind against mental assaults. Thanks. Again. For not letting my mind be shredded like a piece of the Rubblebelt."

"It takes years of practice," Jace assured him, not wanting him to feel embarrassed about his lack of skill, nor wishing upon him the level of practice it took to be any good in just a few years.

They fell silent again, Jace having a difficult time wrapping his head around all of this. "Why didn't you just tell me? Show me?"

"Uh, future you said you would never see our first kiss, well, he said that was his first time seeing it. He insisted we had to maintain continuity. Time loops, and all." Ral toed the ground, still unable to look Jace in the eye. It felt good to talk though.

Jace's cheeks grew warm at the thought of them kissing. He pictured Ral pushing him against the wall just to the side of him and his lips alternating between numbed and teetering on the edge of pain as they kissed.

Blushing and shaking his head briefly, he asked," What was our first kiss like?" He accepted his older self's adherence to time loops, even if he resented him for it.

"Well, we had shared a nightmare, like, the worst nightmare ever."

"Mine or yours? A recurring one?"

"Of… Tezzeret… and your back… and…" He didn't have to flesh out the dream any further, finally glancing up to see Jace blanching at the reveal. "Except it was worse than usual. I think you might have accidently picked up extra information from your future self."

"Oh."

Jace found himself overwhelmed enough by the simple thought that he almost needed to sit down.

Ral watched the other's reaction, his brow synching with concern. Suddenly, it made sense, and letting go of his selfish dejection, he realized and voiced," He was protecting you." He subconsciously took a step closer to Jace, even in their awkward situation wanting to relieve the pained confusion of his partn— _lab_ partner.

Jace tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat was too large. "He must have known it would come to light eventually, but if you told me right away, or even while we were still brushing each other's mind with familiarity…."

Ral would have inadvertently traumatized Jace with the strengthened nightmare. They both averted their eyes as they acknowledged that silently.

"So… after the nightmare?" Jace prompted, still curious about the kiss. He didn't realize he was beginning to lean closer.

"After that nightmare, I helped you clean up, and um…" Ral's face was quickly on its way to matching the shade of crimson of his scarf. "I admitted I loved you like a godsdamned, zino store romance novel, protagonist."

Jace's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

His voice was so full of wavering wonder, quiet in its shocked skepticism.

It pained Ral to think that both times he admitted his love for the man before him, he'd been met with doubt, like Jace couldn't initially believe someone might say that to him. Say it _and_ mean it. He looked deep into Jace's eyes, mustering his resolute courage as he confidently said," I knew it then, as firmly as I know it now, I love you."

Jace grasped either shoulder and pulled him close for a soft, warm kiss, and Ral focused on not electrically burning him this time. He melted under the familiar lips that he had tasted too few times. A warm and uncomplicated smile graced his lips as Jace broke their kiss, until he pulled back enough and took in Jace's expression.

Jace's eyes welled with tears, and he sputtered in a futile attempt to speak. "But you can't," he finally mumbled, then spoke up," We can't."

Ral took a step back, his stomach flopping at those words spearing through his chest. He covered his eyes, framing it as pinching his nose, and asked quietly. "Is this because of Gideon?" He remembered how hard it had been not to cry at the warforged god amongst men kissing Jace's hand and the way his mind mage melted under the attention.

"No," Jace quickly denied. That had been it, but there was more to it. "I'm the Living Guildpact, and he's far too politically involved with the Boros Legion too—"

Ral's voice was loud as he asked," Where does it say in any Guildpact, magical or mundane, that the Guildpact is restricted from seeing a guildmage, let alone dating an associated party?"

Jace was dumbstruck by the release of emotion, like a valve giving under the pressure of too much steam. 

When he finally regained the ability of speech, his tone was dry and clinical as he muttered," Teysa's acting Guildpact never referenced such a scenario, nor did transcriptions of the original treaty, though its magical dissolution leaves a small web of discrepancy between the paper copies that exist."

He'd been thinking over it since he spoke with Gideon, and now being within the hallowed halls of law and order of Ravnica, it only strengthened his doubt that he should actually act on either romantic interests. It was lonely holding order together, and he just had to accept that. This brief bout of feeling he couldn't reach out to a maze runner only highlighted the importance he remain uninvolved.

"You're the current law, Jace. Can you really not date anyone vaguely associated with this—" He caught himself just in time as he remembered they were being surveyed by Emmara's elemental. Well, there was the cat out of the bag on timewalking. "This… entire city? It spans the whole _world_ , Jace."

Ral waited for Jace to say something, to agree, or argue, or at least ask for more time to think over it. Instead he watched Jace tense up as he glued his eyes to the ground. "Screw your entitled self-importance. You deserve to be happy, even if that isn't with me." Ral sniffled and quickly caught a wayward tear with a rough palm.

"I'm sorry," Jace began, and Ral took that as his cue to leave. The air was stuffy with the electrical charge that had built up anyways.

"Wait," Jace called after him, earning a small shock as he grabbed Ral's elbow. "If you're right, and I should let myself explore my feelings…"

Ral wrinkled his nose, knowing he wouldn't like what came next. 

"It's just… Before we got stuck timewalking, I was getting very close to Gideon. Nothing set in stone by any means, but, you know… when we got back, and you started avoiding me, it was hard to ignore that."

In a rare experience, Ral hated Jace's love of explanation.

"… But I confided I had feelings for you too the night before last, and he cut me off and asked why I had to choose."

"What?" Ral looked over his shoulder, surprised by the turn of the conversation.

"He, um, he wants us to be together. He said it upset him to see how visibly despondent I'd become in your absence—Okay, he used the word sad—and that he didn't see why I needed to choose."

Ral held up a finger as he tried to follow the radical shift in thought that had occurred in just a few exchanges. "So you're telling me he said he was totally down with, what, sharing?"

Jace shrugged and said," Yeah, I guess. Polyamory is common where he comes from." They didn't have to voice the fact that he was from another plane of existence, and Ral—who was always eager to remind him that he was a true-blooded Ravnican—seemed unmoved by this reasoning.

"I don't even share my lab equipment. What makes you think I'm going to share my boyfriend?"

"You shared your lab equipment with me," Jace softly petitioned, eyes raising to Ral tentatively.

"I—um," Ral broke off his argument as he swallowed dryly. "I don't even know the man."

Jace's eyes fell back to his feet and he nodded solemnly. "Right, yeah, that was dumb. I don't know what I was—"

"But I could always go for another cup of coffee," Ral tagged on earnestly. He wanted any piece of Jace the other was willing to give. He'd learn to share. He had learned to make friends with Jace's help as well. "Does he like coffee?"

"I'll ask," Jace said, tears prickling the corners of his eyes as a grateful smile broke across his entire face. A weight had been lifted off his chest yet again, and he felt ever lighter as Ral leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.


	6. Chapter 6

It had all happened so fast. Chandra had brought an ale for them to share and they'd been talking casually, preparing to select memories to share. They'd chosen a small, abandoned amphitheater that had long ago decayed to the point of no longer amplifying sounds but rather echoing them in disarrayed unrecognizable patterns with its broken stonework.

Chandra had found this place when she needed somewhere she could practice her pyromancy that was closer than planeswalking to Regatha, but far away enough that she wouldn't risk searing her friends or the senate couriers that often flew into Jace's sanctum.

"Jace, look out!"

And he'd been pushed to the ground sharply, looking up past her flaming hair to see two quills sailing through the space he'd been just a breath before.

Trying to put together what had happened was difficult for Jace as he found himself with the breath knocked out of him. Chandra was quickly turning about, lifting only enough to sling a firebolt but still huddled over him to protect him while he regained his bearings.

"What are we being attacked by?" His mind was probing their surroundings at a fairly large radius, certainly far enough to cover the origin of those quills if their velocity and angle were anything to go by.

"Dunno, but it reeks of rot. C'mon, we gotta move."

She locked forearms with him, squeezing his elbow hard enough that he got to his feet eagerly if just to release that pressure. He chased after her, looking back to hopefully glimpse what was attacking them.

Their options were limited, and they proceeded down a flight of slimy, stone stairs that were more covered in rotting vines than weren't. From the sounds of it, the beings that pursued them weren't slowed by this terrain in the slightest, unlike them.

"Deadend ahead."

Jace hazily whipped a mind spike behind him, but it was as useless as he assumed it would be. These beings wielded some sentience, but their minds if they had any, were devoid of reasoning. Acknowledging his area of expertise wasn't going to be effective, he changed tactics and sent the strongest wave of telekinesis he could muster; though, it was perhaps too strong for the structural integrity of this falling apart corridor.

A cave-in loudly settled behind Jace and Chandra, and Jace was struck by a falling rock and fell back painfully to the wall. He was too distracted by pain to immobilize the attackers himself as they swarmed near.

“Jace,” Chandra called, hair flying into snarling flames,” Breathe in deep!”

He didn’t question her, seeing exactly what she was going for as she threw her first fireball. Knowing what was coming didn’t help keep tears from burgeoning as the air burned in his lungs and old memories resurfaced.

She had to turn her back on him momentarily as she secured her kill of the fleeing rot-monster. Chandra turned back quickly, engulfing the second attacker in righteous flames. They ate up the rotting plant-animal quickly, but just as quickly smothered themselves, the oxygen in the now small cavern burning up. Chandra’s hair burnt out, falling into frazzled curls as she staggered over to Jace.

Wheezing, her breaths coming short even though she was inhaling as deeply as she could, she asked,” Jace, are you okay? I wasn’t too slow, was I?” She thought a quilled beast must have got him before she could get it.

Jace shook his head dizzily, then realized she asked two questions with two different answers and telepathically answered more precisely,” _I’m fine._ ” Holding a conversation with Chandra wasn’t as natural as with Nissa or Ral, more clumsy like his attempts with Gideon, but they could make it work when she concentrated.

Chandra sent him a skeptical look, eyes squinting and lips pulling off to the side in a pout.

“ _Really_ ,” Jace thought in what he felt was reassurance,” _I just had a bad run in with a pyromancer once._ ” 

Chandra’s playful skepticism fell to pained horror and her shoulders drooped as her steps came to an uncertain stop. Her thoughts swirled in a jumbled mess until she settled on,” _Do you think everyone’s afraid of me?_ ”

“What?” Jace wheezed, too taken off guard by the question to sensibly continue telepathically. He quickly rubbed his tears away with the heel of his hands, not wanting to cause her heart anymore pain. He hadn’t meant to upset her.

“ _Well, because I’m a pyromancer. Everyone seems to have a bad experience with pyromancy. You, Gids’ mentor, it’s just…_ ” She closed the distance between them, but as she tiredly sank to the ground, she noticeably left a few inches space between them and leaned away.

Chandra couldn’t focus well, the lack of air starting to truly hit her burning lungs. Just a minute or two, she figured, hazily staring back at the loose pile of stone. She burned up most of the oxygen, but this corridor wasn’t airtight or even close. It would slowly fill back up. Their exhales were enough to tide them over.

“ _You’re my friends_ ,” she thought softly, though it took her several seconds to achieve the calm needed. “ _I don’t want you to be afraid of me._ ”

Some kind of negative response came from Jace, some statement he wasn’t afraid, but he lost consciousness as he tried to form the sentence. His body wasn’t as well trained to go without oxygen for minutes or more. Chandra had practice, having burnt all of her oxygen away more times than could be counted on both hands.

Time passed by slowly for Chandra, it taking minutes for the air to circulate enough that every breath felt full and replenishing. She turned to Jace expectantly, worry creasing her features, as Jace sputtered. Her tense shoulders relaxed as he sat up, clearly disoriented, but breathing well.

“What were we… Chandra, I’m not afraid of you. How could you say that?” His brain felt sluggish; it took him a moment to remember what they had been discussing before his untimely passing out. His mana reserves had kept him going, or he wasn't so sure he would have regained consciousness so quickly.

“Because a pyromancer hurt you! Just like how Gids didn’t like me at first because a pyromancer hurt his mentor.” The worry he hated her danced behind her lips, but she couldn’t bear to say it.

“It—that—You’re not the pyromancer that did either of those things. We wouldn’t hate or fear you because of that,” Jace reasoned.

Chandra shook her head, getting her fingers caught in tangles as she tried to run a hand through her hair frustratedly. “It’s the first thing someone says when my pyromancy hurts them or reminds them. ‘A bad run in with a pyromancer’. You two aren’t the only ones. I’ve heard that phrase my whole life! Why is my magic so destructive? I don’t want people to fear me—I don’t want people who _like_ me to fear me just because of my magic. It’s restricted across planes for being dangerous and reckless, like me.”

“Baltrice was nothing like you,” Jace muttered. “No one who knows you would ever think of you like that. Our magic—all of our magics—are devastatingly powerful. Nissa can raise elementals that can go toe to toe with ogres, and I can break minds. Do I need to mention how physically intimidating Gideon is when he doesn’t smile, and how Lili can casually raise an army of the dead?”

“But…” Chandra looked away, hugging herself with one arm as her nails bit into her bicep.

“Ral and I have had a conversation like this,” Jace recalled aloud. “That we may have powers that scare the other, but we trust each other, and so we can’t be upset by this. The body doesn’t listen to the mind very well. I can attest to that. It freezes or flinches at what it thinks can harm it, but in our minds, we know. I know you, Chandra. I’m not, and never will be, afraid of _you_ just because some other, different, pyromancer hurt me.”

He gripped her shoulder, trying to get her to look at him. Insecure eyes met his, which surprised him. It was hard for him to imagine Chandra displaying a weak emotion; she always put on such a strong display.

“Show me,” Chandra whispered, her eyes dropping to the hand on her shoulder.

“What?”

“What they were like. The pyromancer that hurt you.”

Jace balked, his hands tightening on her shoulder pauldrons until the knuckles went yellowish-white. Images of her torturing him while Tezzeret planned his fate worse than death seared through his mind and he hesitantly lowered his walls so she could see it too.

Tears lept to Chandra’s eyes and she headbutted his chest as she dropped onto him inconsolably. “I am. I _was_ like her! You _should_ be afraid of me.”

“No—” Unbidden, his mind was filled with the deviant glee of immolating a goblin and the thoughtless abandon of killing all the people in a shrine. He remembered that shrine: the one he’d returned the Dragon’s Scroll to. His stomach churned.

“You’re different. That was… how long ago was that? That was different. We were kids,” Jace said, shame starting to burn in his cheeks as he patted her back consolingly. She made a small contesting gumble, and he sighed at her stubbornness. He ran his fingers through her hair cautiously, checking for her mental feedback to ascertain if that was okay or not, then pulled her close so she could slouch into his embrace.

He continued to brush through her hair as she seemed to take comfort from it, and he continued," You didn't know me well back then. What do you think leads a man to chase down a woman for a scroll he has no interest in, just to return it to some sanctum?"

"I dunno, I guess someone who worked for the Sanctum of Stars," she answered with a hiccup.

"They were a client," Jace said measuredly, stomach now in his throat.

"Client?"

"A client of… I was a part of… I didn't always used to be on the side of the law," Jace fumbled over. He was so used to hiding his unfortunate past; he didn't even discuss it with Emmara who knew about it. Now he found it hard to own up to.

"Well, I know you've… You've definitely changed your—" Her face screwed up as she tried to figure out the wording she wanted. She hummed frustratedly.

"Code of ethics?" Jace volunteered.

"Sure. Like, the first time we met you were cold and did whatever it took to get the scroll back. When we fought on Zendikar together, you seemed to care more. I mean, you were fighting because you cared." 

She could feel when someone fought with passion, and she could feel when fighting was a means to an end. The Jace that had stolen back the scroll had only cared about obtaining it, not about it itself, or those he hurt to get it for that matter. The Jace that fought for Zendikar cared about righting his mistakes and decided to stay and save a plane no matter what it took—even though his life had been on the line—because he found a passion in helping the planebound Zendikari. Not only had his reasons shifted, but he didn't resort to the same brutal mind tricks he'd used on her—at least not that she'd noticed.

He was silently shocked by her assessment, and had to clear his throat to say," Thank you… That means a lot to me."

~~  
~~

Lavinia stood dutifully to the side and one pace back from the Living Guildpact as he did paperwork, extra precautions in place after the recent incident at the amphitheater. He wasn't convinced it had been an attack on him in particular, so much as defending territory and Chandra and he had just happened to be the fools in the area, but once Lavinia knew, there was no stopping the bump in security.

As the words on the page began to blur, this time due to simple exhaustion and _not_ a mild curse to slow down Jace's decryption of House Dimir's official request, Jace sat back and sighed. 

"Would you like more coffee? I can have—"

"I can get my own coffee without being assassinated," Jace assured her with an exasperated sigh," But, no thanks. I've had quite a bit already today, and I'm getting some after work." His hands had finally stopped shaking from this morning, and he figured with how— _literally_ —amped Ral would presumably be, he would probably have to be the calm, rational one.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the Izzet delegate, would it?"

Jace felt like he'd been caught red handed, and he wondered if this was what kids felt like when their parents called them on their embarrassing school crushes. Quickly leaning forward and picking a page up in either hand so he looked busy comparing data, he said," And why would you assume that?"

"You basically lived at his place for three weeks, then after a few weeks of being very sullen and having no plans, you dragged him out of a room and have mysterious plans two days later," she said rather flatly, though the speculation in her voice near running wild for her usual affect.

Jace sighed a heavy sigh, and sat back in his chair with crossed arms. This was Lavinia, his sole confidant on Ravnica, the right hand woman that made his position as Living Guildpact bearable and knew of his planeswalking activity. If there was one Ravnican that deserved his full disclosure, it was Lavinia. "Yes," he admitted," I have plans with Guildmage Zarek and—how familiar are you with Gideon Jura?"

She looked to him with furrowed brows. "The freelancer Aurelia enlisted? From what I heard, he handled some gang activity well, but turned down membership with the Boros. He's been staying at your sanctum, but keeps to himself unless asking after you."

"Asking after me?"

She nodded and expounded," When you've gone missing from time to time, he's asked me as to where you might be, if you've been attending Guildmeets, if you've been eating."

It was a bit embarrassing that everyone in his life seemed to think he needed a keeper, but he couldn't really refute it, so he let it go. "Yes, he's staying at my sanctum as one of the founding members of the Gatewatch. He helped with the Eldrazi."

This brought the slightest shake of the head from Lavinia, who knew that the Gatewatch was his excuse to leave his duties behind on Ravnica.

With a pointed eyebrow, Lavinia asked," Zendikar or Innistrad?"

"Both, he brought Zendikar's plight to my attention." Jace thought back to his work with Ral that had lead them to discover Gideon, or rather "the planeswalker that had been frequenting Ravnica" as they knew him at that time. He thought back to the first time they'd actually talked, when Gideon had let him know the hedrons were tied to leylines. How grateful he'd been for someone needing his help going through the small step of _asking_ for it, and trusting him to do the right thing.

"He seems to have your best interests at heart, and his help with Krenko was noted with some esteem within the Senate. Perhaps he could catch him again."

Jace really should have known more about Gideon's work on Ravnica, and about Krenko being back on the streets, but with how much he surveyed these days, he couldn't manage being up to date on _everything_.

He looked back to his paperwork and got through a few more pages before Lavinia spoke up once more.

"So you're seeing Guildmage Zarek and Jura after work for some coffee?"

Butterflies swarmed in his stomach as he thought about it once more, and Jace couldn't help giddly nodding with a goofy grin. "Yeah," he confirmed, though it didn't seem completely real yet. So much had been going on for so long that such a simple idea as going on a date with two men he'd had crushes on for months didn't seem like it was allowed in his hectic life.

A grim thought squashed the innocent glee as he worried that this may impact his work.

"I would keep this meeting and its… results… quiet, Guildpact," Lavinia cautioned, echoing his darker thoughts.

"I would never let my relation with Ral affect—"

Lavinia wasn't one for physical affection, or at least not in her professional life—Jace had a hard time conceiving she _had_ a personal life, though; sometimes thinking she left his office or sanctum to head directly to the Senate—but she drew near and placed a hand on his shoulder, and quietly said," I know you keep your relations and your duties separate. As much as I wish you would spend more time at your desk, I could never accuse you of preferential treatment."

He looked up to her solemn, warm face, his eyes a little misty with her sincerity.

"You've never afforded the Azorius any luxuries despite all our hours working together, and it's well-known you have a longstanding friendship with Emmara, and the Selesnya see no favors either."

Jace prided himself on his rational decision making, and it was very validating to have someone who was so by the book and a dedicated servant of the people confirm he did a good job of separating his personal life and his diplomatic work.

"I just wanted to remind you to maintain that privacy so that others couldn't wield such information for weight in court."

"Of course. Thank you for your concern."

"And I wanted to inform you that Orzhov establishments should be a safe place to meet at," Lavinia said, patting his shoulder once before pulling back to her own personal bubble.

"Orzhov? I was thinking that Selsnya cafes would be a much more covert option—"

"I had been… worried about your interest in Guildmage Zarek, and made a… personal request." She tried her best to look like nothing was suspicious about that statement, but she couldn't entirely hide the face she pulled.

It was his turn to be intrigued, and he echoed," Personal request?"

Lavinia busied herself with checking her cowl was in proper placement to give an air of disinterest as she revealed," Guildmage Karlov approached me to ask what I wanted for my birthday, and I simply requested that the Orzhov not deal in information regarding your potential romantic pursuits. The paperwork will be enough without it being public knowledge."

It was very heartwarming that she would think to ask for something that helped him, especially in the form of favors with Orzhov, which could be a dangerous guild to exchange favors with, only second to Dimir. What caught his attention however, was that this was a birthday gift.

"How didn't I know it was your birthday?"

"I didn't mention it," she said with a simple shrug. "Guildmage Karlov approached me about it on her own sources."

"But I should have seen it in paperwork or something."

"I don't actually work _for_ you, Jace. I am placed to protect you by the Azorius Senate. So, my paperwork has never actually been submitted to you."

"The one citizen I don't have paperwork for, then," Jace joked, thumping his hand on his current stack with a dull thud.

He projected his magic with a curious sweep, just a light pass for surface thoughts that might reveal when her birthday was, and got a taste of champagne on his tongue and Teysa's smile in his mind's eye. He quickly shored his mind and tried to ignore the too personal of information he'd gleaned.

"Well, we best make use of my birthday wish. Why don't I send for a reservation at Sunset Spire for this afternoon, and you call it early so you can get properly prepared?"

"R-really?"

"That way you can call it a night early enough to make up the time bright and early tomorrow morning," Lavinia continued with a deadpan delivery.

Jace laughed sheepishly and thought that sounded more like Lavinia. It also sounded more than fair, and he nodded eagerly. "That would be really nice. Thank you, Lavinia."

~~  
~~

The three men sat at a small, round table at a cafe that had a nice, and notably empty, courtyard. Jace liked this cafe for its selection of teas and pastries, though it could stand to take more care in not overtly listening to conversations between clientele. It was Orzhov run, so all conversation details were almost assuredly for sale, but he had Lavinia's word that was not an issue.

Introductions had been painfully awkward, though having to select one's drink at least offered some distraction. Ral never looked at the menu and had simply ordered coffee. Jace had read over the entire menu—despite it never changing in the years he'd been coming here—and ended up going with the black tea he always ordered at this cafe. Gideon chose the first tea his eyes landed on, confident he could drink anything and unsure of what minute difference in taste any of these teas might boast.

Talking was no less clumsy after they all received their drinks, though at least one could pretend to be occupied taking a sip.

Fingers laced around the glass his tea came in, Gideon twiddled his thumbs as he wondered what he should say. He was good at leading a battalion, not at making small talk.

" _This awkward silence may be heavy enough to count as a dangerous weapon_ ," Ral thought after covertly tapping his temple and hiding it as an idle scratch. " _Did you apply for your permit through Lavinia?_ "

Jace sent an unimpressed sidelong glance towards Ral. " _Shush._ "

" _I'd say you could cut the tension in the air with a knife, but I don't want to arm you with another weapon you need a permit for._ "

" _So long as it is shorter than your leftmost thumb, it's not considered a weapon_ ," Jace bantered back, unable to help himself despite acknowledging it was rather rude.

" _I seen some goblins with some pretty impressively long thumbs, so that's not a very comforting thought._ " Then a look of puzzlement took over and Ral asked," _Wait, how do you determine 'leftmost' for quadrupeds? Asking for a friend who may have council with the Firemind tomorrow._ "

" _Razia tended to fight with her left side forward, so most of the Sova Column tends to rule the forward most limb—_ Ral! _this isn't funny. _"__

__Ral couldn't stifle his laughter and as Gideon rightfully looked at him like something was amiss, he explained," Try to maneuver him into answering jokes with serious legal deliberations. It's so rewarding."_ _

__Jace glared daggers at him, one finger tapping on his mug of tea irritably. "At least you're being impolite out loud now."_ _

__Gideon was familiar with Jace holding conversations within his mind while he talked to another. He assumed from Ral's comment it was nothing serious, but he self-consciously wondered what he was missing out on. "I'm afraid I'm not nearly as familiar with the law here as either of you."_ _

"Eh, screw the law," Ral said with a downright evil smirk, locking eyes with Jace and thinking in his direction," _I've been thinking about screwing the law._ " 

The blush that took residency on Jace's face was undeniable, and he telepathically whined," _Why are you being so difficult?_ " 

Ral cheekily thought back," _Since when was I ever described as not being difficult? I don't share my toys unless I'm having fun, Jace._ " 

__The implication that he was a boy toy was enough to make Jace slump forward and hide his face in his arms resting on the table. The thought that this was the future he'd signed up for crossed his mind, and he couldn't quite tell if his stomach was churning with excitement or fear. Probably both._ _

__Seeing how far he'd pushed Jace with just a few sentences and recognizing how nervous he was himself, Ral decided to ease up—just a little—and considered playing nice with Gideon. He didn't like that his life was starting to reveal a pattern of strange men swooping in from other planes of reality to snatch things he wanted, but seeing how getting to know Jace—who had stolen the title of Living Guildpact—had gone… he was willing to give Gideon the slimmest chance to prove he was worth his time. He owed Jace that much._ _

__"So… how's your tea?" Ral winced at how inept his small talk was._ _

__"It's fine," Gideon said, eyes dancing between the two other men at the table as he wondered what they could possibly be saying to each other. "It's, um, cold, which I wasn't expecting."_ _

__Jace was too busy being mortified, which he was kind of grateful for as it held him back from being a pedantic ass and pointing out that glacé meant it was served cold. Taking time to finish a long sip of coffee first, Ral offered," Want me to heat it up?"_ _

__"That would be nice, thank you."_ _

__The exchange was so stilted, it sounded like it came out of an introductory textbook on how to speak common Rav. Regardless, it was conversation, civil conversation at that, which Jace found hopeful. He sat up straight once more, more than a little bashful. Hopefully Ral would cut him some slack._ _

__Jace tried to think of any common ground the two of them shared, but failed and thus failed to think of a conversation starter._ _

__Taking in the slope of Jace's shoulders, Gideon cleared his throat and tried to start the conversation. "If you were thinking of walking soon, the tropics of Moag are supposed to be rather lovely this time of year."_ _

__"I hate walking," Ral said with an expression like he'd bitten into a rotten apple._ _

__And the conversation came to a dead halt once more. The three men exchanged glances here and there, but none could come up with what to say next._ _

__" _Ral, your dampener_ ," Jace casually reminded as felt his hair begin to puff up. Looking up from the tea he had been staring into as if to divine some miracle topic, he confirmed Gideon's hair was beginning to stand on end. He had to stifle unbidden giggles at the ridiculous arcs his hair was raising into the air in, failing to hide the grin and hiding it lousily behind one hand._ _

__Catching a look of confusion from Gideon, Jace struggled to explain without outright laughing. "Your hair… and Ral's magic… electrostatic f-f-field… a lion's mane!" He had tears in his eyes from the exertion._ _

__Gideon's good natured laugh filled the air, and he delicately raised his hands to test just how out of control his hair was. Even Ral, who was determined to be difficult, had to let out a bit of a goodhearted chuckle at his accidental work. He adjusted his dials, though mumbled some intentional static into the air to keep up the hilarious look._ _

__That genuine moment of forgetting any of the tension in this gathering was the gateway to natural conversation. Finding his coffee empty and his chest a little less tight than he started the drink with, Ral sighed and conversationally asked," So, you work for the Boros, right? Same kind of burn-your-house-down magic or…?"_ _

__"Ral," Jace chastised, but Gideon held up a hand and waved the transgression._ _

__"Actually, I finished my work with them. My refusal to join them was too high a point of contention."_ _

__Ral sympathised with the Boros on this rare occasion. What a tease it must have been for a gateless man to waltz in and show off, but turn down their offer of membership. Some guilds had standards and didn't just offer membership to anybody, Ral thought, what a slap in the face to turn down such offers._ _

__Gideon realized Jace was interested by this, and he added," I still help out in the ninth, but I don't have the battalion behind me anymore."_ _

__Eyebrows raising incredulously, Ral asked," You waltz into contested Gruul and Rakdos territory and try to fight the good fight by yourself? How aren't you dead?"_ _

__"I'm pretty damn hard to kill," Gideon said with a laugh. "My powers don't lend themselves to pyromancy, but if I know what's coming my way, I'm indestructible. I can work some basic hieromancy, but my talents are mostly being able to walk through a meat grinder unscathed."_ _

__He said it in a tone of downplaying his own skills, but Ral squinted and stroked his missing beard-that-he-regretted-shaving thoughtfully. "So, you couldn't start the house on fire, but you could walk through it just fine?"_ _

__Gideon echoed his curious look with a smile, wondering why Ral was so hung up on the burning house concept, but openly answered," The flames wouldn't cause me much harm, though the hot air would hurt my lungs."_ _

__Jace knew, of course, of Gideon's fantastic feats of strength and surviving what would end most mortals. They'd never discussed his power's limitations though, not nearly as much as Jace often had to describe to anyone who felt like teaming up with him for more than two seconds._ _

__"So your soft tissues are susceptible to injury, but your skin isn't?"_ _

__"I guess?"_ _

__"You do bruise," Jace pointed out._ _

__"So what happens if you're struck with lightning? The burns aren't nearly as important as all the soft tissue damage that usually occurs. Can the electricity even use you as a conducting surface if you're able to ward off damage, and thereby access through your skin?"_ _

__Jace glared and flatly asked," Ral, would it kill you to go one date without vaguely threatening Gideon?"_ _

__"It's not a threat. It's pure curiosity," Ral argued with an air of taken offense. "I've never met someone that I couldn't send electricity through with enough concentration."_ _

__"The last part does sound like a bit of a threat," Gideon maintained with an amused shrug. "But it is interesting. I've never met someone that I couldn't beat in hand to hand combat given enough time, and my magic buys me time no matter the magic they wield. I'd be willing to wager my shield could pull me through."_ _

__Ral's eyes lit up with deviant glee, and Jace covered his face with one hand and complained under his breath," Don't encourage him."_ _

__Gideon himself was encouraged, and over the course of a two more rounds of tea and coffee for the table, shared a bit more of his dry wit than he would usually reveal. Jace seemed relieved, Gideon noted, not relying on any illusions and wearing a soft smile as he pretended to be exasperated. The banter was entertaining enough, and Ral seemed a lot less on edge than he had when they first sat down. A warmth in Gideon's chest grew, and he felt that this might just work out._ _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Broke 25 comments and/or kudos sometime last night, so here is a new episode ahead of time! Next chapter will still be arriving on Wednesday :) Hope you guys enjoy this installment.

Even though he didn't trust the necromancer, she was sworn in to the team after the Gatewatch's fight on Innistrad, and he had set out to work with the whole team on some basic battle tactics. The team as a whole was strengthened if every member had some basic melee training in case of situations like Diraden that had left Chandra and himself powerless to use their mana-driven abilities.

Liliana had finally ran out of excuses after weeks and weeks of declining his offers of training. Now, here she was, dressed in her cheapest dress that didn't even sport any lace, with thin leather bracers tied to either forearm and two daggers at either hip.

"People often assume knife fighting to be easier to learn than that of the sword, but the double-edged blade of a dagger—"

With a roll of her eyes, Liliana interrupted and said," I held a dagger before your _parents_ were born, hun. I don't need a lecture on its history and use."

"I think even you'd agree that holding a dagger is much different than wielding it efficiently," Gideon said patiently. "Would you like to skip directly to sparring?"

Arching a brow, Liliana commented," Would you ever forgive yourself if you injured your student without properly training them first?" She was mildly surprised by the fight in her teammate who usually was laser focused on protecting the helpless and resisted pointless arguing.

"I doubt I could really harm you with a dulled dagger if I tried," Gideon said, holding eye contact calmly. "No mortal human makes it to your age without a few enchantments to stave off death from something so simple as a stab wound."

Smirking and giving a one shoulder shrug, Liliana grabbed one dagger from her belt and inspected its dulled edge. It was still sharp enough to rend flesh with enough force or speed, but it was far from the tantalizing edge it could have been with a whet stone's care. She raised her eyes to his and simpered. "You're right, of course. One or two stab wounds would make me angry more than anything. Where'd you get this bite from?"

Gideon lowered into a fighting stance. "Who's to say I haven't always had some bite to me? You know little about me." He'd always preferred one handed fighting with a buckler, but brandished two daggers since Liliana had expressed interest in learning two-weapon fighting styles.

She echoed his stance half-heartedly. Her current dress didn't allow such a spread of her knees, nor did she really feel the need to spread her knees for such a boring purpose as combat. 

"You want to stay outside of kicking range when it comes to a knife fight," Gideon began instructing as he slid back lithely on the balls of his feet, then lifted a chambered kick and extended a roundhouse slowly to show reference. His foot was just a breath away from her chest, and she knocked it away with the flat of her dagger, a look of disgust on her face.

With an amused smile, he continued," It only takes one lunge catching you on the arm or face to disarm you, so maintaining footwork to let you back up easily is key."

With his forward dagger held outright, he quickly slid forward and stopped only as its flat edge tapped against her bicep. Liliana swallowed hard as she restrained an emotive reaction. She had seen him in action; she was aware of how fast he could move decisively. She'd never let an opponent get that close without layers of manipulation and magic controlling the situation, and this was perhaps realer than she was expecting.

Sliding back to mid-range, he encouraged," First drill, let's take turns sliding in and tapping the other on the arm. Forearm, especially by the wrist, is a good place to practice contact, since that will disarm your opponent pretty reliably."

He beckoned her to try, and Lili reluctantly raised to the balls of her feet and moved forward to do as instructed.

"Try to strike and move at the same time. If you're telegraphing you're about to attack, your move will be blocked before you decide how."

He stepped forward and demonstrated how he began the tap before he was even in range for the attack.

Liliana squinted and frowned as the cold metal tapped her wrist. She resolved to move faster, strike better, if only to bring some element of actually trying to Gideon's face.

They exchanged taps for what seemed forever, and only then did Gideon suggest they start circling and anticipating organically when the other might strike. He seemed reluctant to score a tap, but he was also very adept at backing up in time to escape her advances, provoking an endless circling with so few strikes Liliana could scream in frustration.

It only took so long before human error and unpredictability allowed them both to slide in to attack at the same time. He tried to withdraw as soon as he realized, but it was too late, and all he accomplished was clouding his vision as his change in motion was enough to tangle his long hair in front of his eyes.

The small dagger struck his jaw, just high enough to avoid lethality as it drew a gold line against his cheek and split his carefully trimmed beard. Glimmering gold rippled momentarily and he brushed his hair out of his face as he warmly congratulated," Good hit." He'd never allow his misstep to be a point of shame for his sparring partner.

"No it wasn't," she flatly said. They both knew it; the only reason she made her mark was because he was momentarily blinded. Slipping the dagger back into its holster on her left hip, she stepped in even closer. He didn't have time to pull away as she reached past his face and gathered his hair in deft fingers, her arms just barely caressing his neck and ears as she began to work quickly.

"What are you doing?" He didn't move now that her fingers were curled in his hair, not wanting to pull her with him if he tried to back away.

She continued braiding as she scoffed," Please. You're going to get yourself killed with this flowing mane of yours. You should braid it so it doesn't get in your eyes."

"Your hair is even longer than mine," he pointed out, not satisfied with her answer. The tug of braiding was unfamiliar to him, and he found his scalp intermittently hurting under her quick weaving. He was slowly starting to wonder how the people of so many planes could stand the intricate plaits in the name of fashion.

"Yes," she hedged. Liliana never really put her hair up and rarely brought it back in a simple tail. "But I tend to avoid hand to hand combat."

She had a fair point, Gideon had to admit.

With deft fingers, Liliana easily undid one ribbon from her right bracer and tied the braid she'd done with a simple knot. As she finally relinquished her grasp, Gideon took a step back and sent an investigative hand to the braid his hair was now bound in. The soft, bumpy cord that pulled taut across his head and down his back was alien to his fingers.

"Don't ruin my braid," she said with a pout.

He withdrew his hand. His mien read confused, and Liliana shrugged. "We're on the same team. It would be a shame if I had to raise you because you can't keep your hair under control."

His pressed lips firmly conveyed his lack of appreciation for that sentiment, but he sighed and nodded. "It would probably be best to keep it restrained in some manner," he agreed.

They finished their sparring on that note, Gideon still toying with the new braid here and there as he put things away. "I guess it wasn't a complete waste of my time," Liliana said awkwardly as she handed him the daggers she'd borrowed.

"Glad to hear it. We can certainly work more with daggers if you found them to your liking. Otherwise, you might like bo—"

"Daggers are fine," Liliana said, not really caring to learn any martial skill, but settling for the one she'd already began. Despite her boredom, this time was useful in getting to know Gideon, to build the camaraderie he sought, and to learn how she might use him better in the future. Jace fancied himself a leader and had the most history with her, the most reason to help her with her goals, but Gideon was loyal beyond reason, and a good tool that could be exploited by building a friendship as simple as be sparring partners. She gave a simple goodbye before heading to her apartment to clean up, giving a last look over Gideon and deciding he was much more attractive with his shirt still on.

Gideon smiled, proud he'd managed to get the least team-oriented member to agree to spar with him, and that their time had went well enough she agreed to a second meeting. 

The mansion that Jace had invited them all to stay in seemed a little over the top at first, but he had to admit that the showers were a very appreciated upgrade from what he'd made do with in his various Boros accomodations and lodgings at inns.

On his way out of the showers, freshly washed with clean tunic and trousers, and still towling his hair dry, he saw Ral and called out," Hey, Ral, good to see you!"

Ral looked around, recognizing the voice, but not immediately putting it together with the man he'd only actually talked to twice before. He didn't put much effort into seeming more excited to see the man than he was, which was not at all, as he weakly held up a wave and mumbled," Oh, Gideon. Hi." 

Apparently that lack of enthusiasm was still enough to draw Gideon closer.

"Uh, just so you know, water's a fairly good conductor," Ral commented as he noticed Gideon was still drying off his hair, and simplifying it for Gideon's sake. Water wasn't necessarily a _good_ conductor, so much as a better one than air, and greatly increased the surface contact area of any stray bolt that should hit despite its mediocre conductivity.

"Thank you for the warning, but I should be good," Gideon said confidently. "We can consider it an experiment for you. You _were_ curious if I could be electrocuted, if I recall."

Ral had never met someone who was so callous with their own mortality that didn't get off on it like a Rix Maadi ringmaster, but Gideon seemed more so self-assured he could weather Ral's worst. He regarded Gideon like he had a screw loose, which he didn't have any evidence to the contrary, as he ran their last conversation over in his mind. This man braved the Ninth Precinct _alone_ to help the guildless—because he could, a group of people needed help, and apparently he shared a single brain cell with Jace.

"So what has you here?"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Ral shrugged. "Jace is busy in a stupid meeting, so I was about to head back to Nivix."

He'd actually come to deliver a present to Jace, but settled for leaving it in Jace's personal library with a note. It seemed his precision with timewalking wouldn't get much better, even by the time they encountered future Jace. 

Ral organized a favor while in the future, to replace Jace's cloak with a substitute before they made their first leap to the past and return the genuine article to their relative present, but future Ral had been off by a few weeks. He wondered if it was a small mercy that the cloak hadn't appeared in his lab before the three of them went out for tea. If it had arrived sooner, he might have burned it out of spite. It was convenient that future Ral had been late in arriving in his relative past, the disjointed future of the present current Ral had intended—

Whatever the reasoning and despite the jumbled, imprecise way to speak about timewalking, Ral was simply excited to hear from present Jace once the man found his past cloak in one piece. His elation was quickly dampened as he realized Gideon was still looking at him as a viable conversation partner.

"I was going to do some shopping in the Tenth, mind if I join you?"

Ral grumpily hummed, but remembered he was trying to make this trifecta work for Jace. "Guess not."

"Great!"

It was like having his own personal pep squad, and Ral debated telling the other to cool it. He couldn't possibly _actually_ be this excited about some rando walking with him to the market. 

Their walking through the sanctum was quiet, making a stop by the laundry room so Gideon could abandon the towel around his head. They took the front entrance, which deposited them somewhere in the fifth precinct this week, and Ral pointed the direction they needed to head as Gideon seemed to be looking around to get his bearings. If he was shopping, he'd probably want to get to a main thoroughfare or the second precinct.

"Thanks, I'm not the best at getting myself around in a city."

"Can't help that he changes all of his teleportals on a near weekly basis," Ral empathized. He knew all of Inner City Ravnica like the innards of his gauntlet, but that had taken a year or two of living on the streets and getting lost many times.

Gideon chuckled and shook his head. "It really doesn't. I get why he does. Being Guildpact, he's right to be paranoid, but I usually spend my first hour out and about just trying to find my way to the promenade or Tin Street." He turned to Ral with a warm smile and commented," I lucked out in getting a local guide today."

Ral blushed at the warmth being sent his way by such an attractive man, and averted his gaze sheepishly. People didn't usually look at the moody storm mage like that, like he was worth their time beyond handing in an uninspired report on the dragon's most recent assignment. "I mean, it's really not a big deal. Nivix is on the other side of the tenth from here. I was already headed in that direction."

"I appreciate it nonetheless."

Did it hurt to be that… considerate? Supportive? Ral kept his eyes on the ground ahead of him and wondered how someone could even be so patient all hours of the day. 

"How's your research coming along? You said you manage a team for Niv-Mizzet, right?"

Ral scratched his head, wondering how this sponge had remembered everything during the long outing. He hadn't even mentioned his work until the last cup of coffee. "Uh, yeah. My last project was kind of all consuming, so now I'm catching up on boring stuff. I need to start researching something I could actually share, you know?"

"Ah, I take it your last project was private?" He was more than aware of what the last project was, and given what Jace had told him after the fact, " _all consuming_ " seemed an apt description.

"Well, it required a certain spark, if you catch my drift." Ral found it kind of relieving to be able to talk so casually about his planeswalker status, and could kind of see why Jace had decided to surround himself with planeswalkers. It still wasn't totally appealing to Ral, who used to consider just staying on Ravnica indefinitely and forgetting about the multiverse. His interest in spending time off on other planes with well developed artifice had been the only thing that kept him from giving up planeswalking altogether until he met Jace.

"I see. That could cause a ruckus," Gideon said with a measured nod.

"Yeah, this quarter isn't going to look so great for my review," Ral grumbled, then shrugged. "Hiding sparks kind of destroyed my career already, though, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Really? But I thought you were the Izzet maze runner. Wasn't the Dragon's Maze a big deal?" Gideon hadn't paid it much mind, he'd been busy working with Aurelia at the time and focused on protecting the guildless more than some new guild drama.

"Ah, yes," Ral affirmed with a sly narrowing of his eyes. "I mean, I wasn't really the chosen one, so much as the guy who ended up in that position…"

Gideon cast Ral a sympathetic look. "But still, I'm sure that was quite an honor."

"Meh, the Izzet lost, and despite that meaning the world wasn't obliterated, the Firemind wasn't particularly impressed." Ral busied himself with checking that his buckles were keeping his harness's leather straps in place well. "Niv-Mizzet assigned me to be the Izzet Delegate for Guildmeets, but it was more of a punishment than anything. Now I have a lot less time for actual research, having to field our whole guild's complaints to raise them at some stupid meeting."

That indeed sounded less than perfect for a man who wanted nothing but to work on his research. Still, a little optimism never hurt. "Perhaps he just trusts you to do the job right. Diplomacy is an important job."

Ral's lips quirked and a bark of dry laughter left him unbidden. "Sure, yes. Niv-Mizzet is concerned about diplomacy with the other guilds," Ral said, unable to keep a straight voice through even the short sentence.

Gideon frowned at this, but let the topic slide.

Ral bit his lip as he mulled over his thoughts in the new silence. It was a bit of a hike from this week's teleportal, but he didn't feel like taking public transport, and he had some questions for Gideon that sure wouldn't be answered by his usual avoidance and sequestering himself in his lab. "So, we're supposed to be giving this our all, right? Like, we're dating or whatever."

Surprised, Gideon looked over to meet Ral's eyes, but found the other still determinedly staring at the cobblestone beneath them. He looked forward once more and levely answered," I mean, that's up to you. I would love to get to know you more, but if that makes you uncomfortable…"

"Um, I don't know. I never really thought about dating one person, let alone two people, until Jace walked into my life," Ral said thoughtfully, running his fingers through his hair. "Pretty sure most of the League would tell you I was married to my work." 

Gideon chuckled and muttered," Same, actually." Replace the Izzet with any comrade he'd fought on the battlefield with, and that was a word for word summary he would have applied to his life less than a year ago.

"Really?" Ral looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Your muscles have muscles. I would have thought you'd have no problem landing any man or woman you wanted."

Gideon blushed, shaking his head. "M-maybe, but I'm not really interested in what I think you're implying?"

Now Ral was even more interested. "What? Casual sex?"

"Yeah, nope. I'm not really—I don't really—" Gideon's nose wrinkled as he found himself at a loss for words. The idea of having sex with someone he knew and trusted was already tentative enough; the idea of becoming physically engaged with strangers was upsetting.

Ral could see the genuine discomfort he placed the other in and held up his hands like he was approaching a cornered animal. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, um… I just meant you're really attractive. That and being nice? Like, ideal combo for dating." 

Ral died a little of embarrassment as he caught up with his words and shook his head vigorously. Sputtering, he quickly blurted," You know what? Forget I said anything!"

Quickly adjusting his dampener, Ral laughed nervously, and pointed down the street. "Uh, keep going until you pass a restaurant called, Just Desserts, then take a right. Can't miss the market. I-I'm just going to take a shortcut to Nivix." He'd made a fool of himself after selling how completely unremarkable he'd become in his own guild to the man Jace was rightfully crushing on. Ral briefly considered just marching into the closest carnarium and volunteering to be a part of the stage show so he could be put out of his misery.

"Wait, Ral," Gideon said, taking a step closer and placing a hand on Ral's elbow without thinking. His whole body seized before he thought to bring up his protective magic, the golden shield dispersing the electric current and isolating him from further damage.

Ral wrenched his arm away, then looked to Gideon warily. He hadn't fallen over dead, which was a good start. "Hey, uh, Gideon…?" 

"M-my chest hurts," was all the man could say, a look of confusion on his face as he pressed a hand to his chest. Radiance had blossomed, and still rippled, across his skin.

"I probably disrupted the pattern," Ral bit out guiltily after a few whispered curses, holding up his gauntleted hand to try and feel the electrical pattern. "I can set it right, but you're going to need to stop glowing like the Blistercoils."

Gideon looked down, hazily realizing his protective magic was still alight. It was hard to turn it off while he was in active pain, never having practiced subjecting himself to pain on purpose. He nodded to Ral, though the movement left him a little teetering. He tried to voice as much as he slurred," I feel a little dizzy."

"Yup, that's the arrhythmia I gave you. Let's just focus on dropping that glowing." He could feel the electrical impulses running through Gideon, but with his shield up, his resistance was so high, Ral couldn't get sparks to leave his fingers as he touched Gideon. From the confused look Gideon gave him, Ral was beginning to worry he'd have to wait for Gideon to pass out, maybe even go fetch Emmara if that didn't work.

Gideon looked him calmly in the eye though as he began to make sense of Ral's words. It was hard to think with how much his chest hurt. It felt like his heart wasn't even beating, or maybe was beating so fast it couldn't be felt. Bringing his hands in front of him and focusing on the warmth that has always protected him, Gideon forced himself to inhale deeply and surrender its light.

The second he managed to dismiss the shield, a hand was placed over his heart, and a small tingling of electric magic heralded the pain disappearing. He smiled and placed one hand over Ral's, and said," Thank you, I'm sorry for reach—"

"What? No! Don't thank me, and certainly don't apologize," Ral cut him off, stepping away and withdrawing his hand roughly.

Gideon shook his head, looking genuinely regretful. "I should have respected your boundaries. I admit, I'm working on it. Where I grew up, it was… much more expected to be in frequent contact with your neighbor. I'm sorry."

"Word of advice," Ral said, his voice becoming bitter because it was easier to rely on anger than let his true feelings though," People don't usually touch me, especially when I'm upset."

"Upset?"

"Of course I am! You're a knight in shining armor and compared to you, I'm something the Golgari cobbled together that Izzet got conned into giving membership to. I went on blubbering like an idiot when the one redeeming quality I can kind of claim is my intelligence." Ral turned his back to Gideon, only further embarrassed as tears gathered in his eyes.

"I agreed to try the threeway thing because I was afraid to lose him altogether, and hoped maybe it would give him enough time to realize he liked me. He'd choose me! But who was I _kidding_? I wouldn't pick me!" 

Ral had to yell his confession as the wind was picking up around them, and Ral's stomach sank as he felt rain wouldn't be far behind. He'd felt like a failure before, but now he just felt dumb. Could one be a failure if they never had the potential to be great? 

"I-I'm sorry, Ral. I didn't mean to come between you and Jace. I didn't know th—"

"I think I came between you and him, actually," Ral muttered, his words almost lost to the stiff breeze around them. A few soft raindrops began to fall, and Ral figured he should probably put more distance between them. He angrily kicked a stone on the sidewalk and darkly added," And you're better for him, anyways."

"Ral, would you look me in the eyes, please?"

Gideon's voice was patient, way more so than Ral was even sure he was personally capable of. Sighing, Ral guessed he could oblige that, listen to whatever Gideon had to say before storming away and probably shooting his love life in the foot. He looked over his shoulder nervously, but saw a small smile on Gideon's face. 

Hesitantly, Ral faced Gideon entirely.

"Ral," Gideon began, a little shyly," You're attractive, and smart, and thoughtful. The ideal combo for dating, really. Um, Jace really likes you, and I would love to get to know you better." He combed through his hair a little sheepishly, asking Jace out being his first time ever and so many awkward feelings preceding this time.

"Wh-what?" Rain began to pelt harder.

"Ral, would you do Jace and me the honor of being our boyfriend?"

Blushing, Ral dumbly nodded, then flusteredly mumbled out," Y-yeah. Yes."

Gideon held out a hand, and after rubbing his hands together to test his static output and approving that he wouldn't electrify him a second time, Ral timidly accepted it. Gideon kissed his knuckles, smiling against them.

"I m-might die from all the sappiness," Ral said, trying to rein in the butterflies in his stomach and make sure they didn't leak into his words.

Smirking to himself, Gideon pulled away and offered some distance. "We can't have that," he said. He began to walk towards the market, happy when Ral began to walk with him.

Ral frowned, embarrassed, disappointed with himself, a whole host of giddy emotions running their course and reminding him what an idiot he'd made of himself as he stepped in a puddle. "Sorry about the rain."

"Sometimes rain brings out a good price from a vendor. Don't worry about it."

Ral hadn't understood how he got so lucky when he and Jace had began to be more than just lab partners, and he hadn't believed his luck when Jace revealed he wanted to try dating even if it meant including Gideon. Now he found himself even more confused by his luck as he realized Gideon was a fortuitous addition for himself as well. He couldn't help the smile beginning to break through his pout.


	8. Chapter 8

Lavinia wasn't expecting guests on her day off, though she thought a little heatedly that she hadn't been expecting this day off either. Jace promised her that the Gatewatch would only need his services for a couple days, that he would be back by next week's Guildmeet. She would be holding him to that. The thought that she couldn't do much about it if he stayed longer than he promised was nettlesome, but she'd long ago decided to focus on what she could change.

Making her way from the chair she'd been reading in to the front door, she looked through the peephole, magically enchanted to give an undistorted image of who was on the other side. Her face pinched with caution and confusion as she whispered to herself," Zarek?"

Wary of what the other delegate could possibly want, she opened her still chained door and asked," What can I do for you today, Guildmage Zarek?"

Looking over his shoulder to double check no one else was around, then back to the thin slice of Lavinia he could make through her door, he said," Jace is away ' _on business_ ' and I've been told you're the only one that can share my pain, so I've come to complain at you."

Quirking one brow, Lavinia thought, _at least he's upfront about it_ , and let him in to her modest apartment. It was against her better judgement, but she had more than a few questions for him.

"Wow, my apartment looks more lived in, and I don't even spend half my nights there," he said, looking around at the immaculate home he was being invited into.

"It probably helps that I clean more than once a year," she guessed, pretty confident in her assumptions if Ral's disheveled clothes were anything to go by.

He didn't try and fight it as he said," Yeah, probably." 

He looked back to Lavinia and commented," You look practically guildless." 

Ral's words were fast and didn't it didn't seem like he was particularly waiting for any response and might speak over any undetermined reply. He had brought an air of unease with him, and casually combing her fingers through her hair, she confirmed that it was beginning to stand on end.

"I'm off duty," she said, diffidently smoothing her blue tunic over her white slacks. She was still in guild colors. She noted his Izzet duds didn't look any better or worse than they did at a Guildmeet, and guessed it was just as likely he'd come straight from his lab. She was thankful for her good stain removing magic as she offered him a seat on a plush, beige armchair. He took its ottoman instead, sitting heavily with his gear.

"How do you know where I live?"

"I had Kreg tail you home from the sanctum, sorry, that's probably fucking wierd." Having been sitting only seconds, he pushed himself to his feet again and started pacing. Lavinia watched him a little anxiously, remembering the day they'd shared at the Simic Combine that lead to Jace receiving a lightning bolt to the shoulder.

Ral saw how she eyed him, and his pacing came to a self-conscious stop. "I'm not going to blow my top," he said, almost defensively.

"I didn't say anything to th—"

"I believe Jace would accuse you of thinking loudly," he snapped, then grimaced and blurted," Shit, sorry."

"It's oka—"

"I'm not handling this as well as I hoped," Ral said with a hysteric edge to his voice, combing through his hair fruitlessly.

Her face pinched with a bit of concern as she began to ask," What's the—"

"I just can't—"

Having cut her off for the last time, she quickly drew a sigil in the air and forced her will through its structured command.

The hands that had been pulling at his hair quickly pulled together in front of him like they were manacled and he was pulled back to the ottoman as if tugged by a leash, sitting with a rough clattering of his gear. "The fuck was that f—"

"Enough," she ordered, threatening to seal his mouth with magic force if need be. "You've cut me off three times now, after I graciously let you into my home. Can I get you some tea before we discuss your problems?"

Her voice left little room for argument, and Ral meekly answered," Yes, please. Thank you."

With a satisfied nod, Lavinia dropped her enchantment and went to her kitchen to grab the necessary items. She came back with a glass pitcher of water, two mugs with linen tea bags, and some sugar and lemon juice, all on a tray that fit nicely on the coffee table between the two chairs in her small living room.

"Do the honors?" She pointed to the pitcher. "Rather than waiting for the kettle," she explained. "I like it just under simmering."

He nodded dumbly and reached forth, spinning some red mana into the water and bringing it to the requested temperature.

It was weird watching the water come to temp, the whole of the body of water reaching the same temperature at the same time, and thus releasing no steam or bubbles from point of contact heat. She had to bring her hand, knuckles forward, to even verify it was warm.

"Thank you," she said rigidly, certain not to miss her manners, but not feeling particularly grateful either. Lavinia carefully used her sleeve to grab the glass pitcher and poured the perfectly heated water over the tea bags and enjoyed the sweet scent that lifted quickly into the air.

Picking up her mug she asked," Now, Guildmage Zarek, what seems to be the issue?"

"Jace offplane with his stupid Gatewatch," Ral began, knee bouncing. "And I used to monitor when he came and went, but somehow him _telling_ me he's going to be offplane and for what purpose is actually worse." Jace used to be a strategic asset, now he was more valuable than that.

"What purpose is it this time?"

"Some other planeswalker was going plane to plane to destabilize local government or something. I mean, I didn't really listen all that well because Jace and I were in the middle of—" Ral cut himself off and cleared his throat. "Gideon said they'd be back in two or three days, and I'm halfway through day one and losing my mind."

It was a little relieving they'd both been given the same timetable. Adding some sugar to her tea and blending it in with her little spoon, she said a little apathetically," He's been gone plenty longer than three days before. At least this time we have an estimate of how long he'll be gone, unlike Zendikar and Innistrad."

"Right, but when he was gone for that, I didn't know he was killing _literal gods_. He shared a dream of Emrakul with me and I almost fried him from the horrific sights. Whatever he's doing is way more dangerous than staying on Ravnica, and I argue with a dragon on a daily basis," Ral said, stomach churning at the unwanted images of Emrakul and Avacyn that crossed his mind. 

That was admittingly unsettling, but Lavinia closed her eyes and let herself enjoy a sip of tea quietly before replying. "I try not to think of what he does on other planes. It won't change anything, and I'm better served spending my time keeping order in his stead so he can catch back up when he finally returns."

"I guess that makes sense," Ral muttered half-heartedly, spinning the darkening water in his mug with the teaspoon despite having added nothing. "I can't stop thinking about it."

That was an understatement. He hadn't been all that concerned when Jace told him, or all that concerned after they'd stopped making out and he'd happily gone to sleep for the night. Watching him and Gideon planeswalking with the others had made it real though, and he was pretty sure he'd had a panic attack on the way over to Lavinia's.

"Drink your tea," Lavinia reminded gently, a little more empathetic to Ral's plight once more.

He did as asked, though his face pulled in distast as he drank it. He'd never liked black tea. It always tasted like burnt coffee to him, even though countless people had told him coffee was more bitter than tea. To still his tongue which would probably get him in trouble again, he quickly took another long sip.

Lavinia still had one last question that had forced her hand into letting the destructive mage into her home. "Why did you come to me?"

"There wasn't really anyone else I could talk to," Ral mumbled into his drink and barely projecting his voice. Even quieter, he added," It's so hard talking to you people."

"Us people?"

"Planebound."

"I take it you're a planeswalker?"

His eyes shot up to her, panic coloring his expression. "You didn't know?" His concern was tempered a little with knowing that she was completely aware of Beleren and hadn't wielded that information in any dangerous way.

Lavinia shrugged and said," I had assumed, though had no confirmation."

"Well, yes. I am." It was uncomfortable for him to admit it outloud. It had taken him half a year before he'd admitted it to Ixavner, and he'd seen the man as his father. Jace had only reinforced that other planeswalkers didn't make a habit of it, especially on Ravnica.

"Why didn't you follow him, then? Or go track him down now?"

"Thank you for the obvious suggestion," he said with a bit of a bite. "But I have an appointment with the Firemind tomorrow, so…"

She was staring at him curiously, and it made his skin crawl to be hanging out one on one with someone who seemed so interested in what he had to say despite barely knowing him. Uncomfortably, he shrugged and averted his gaze as he mumbled," I'm not very good at it. I-it takes a few days for me."

Lavinia could recognize a sore subject when she saw one, and since she wasn't on duty, she left it alone. "How's your countering magic?"

"What?" The question out of the blue caught him off guard, and he didn't even fully process it until after he asked what she'd said. "Um, it's fine. Not my strong suit, but I can make do."

Ral and Lavinia shared a common element, much like they did with Jace, and Lavinia was confident she could take his mind off of his current problems—at least for a little while—with a simple Azorius exercise that she could always stand to practice. She stood up, motioning he could stay sitting. "Let me suit up. I'll be right back."

As she made it to the door of her room, she paused at the static shock she got from the doorknob as looked back over her shoulder as she asked," On a scale of one, not likely, to ten being a sure thing, how likely are you to grievously shock me if we're slinging spells?"

Slinging spells? Ral looked towards the hallway she'd disappeared down and hesitantly answered," Seven?"

With a small, humorless laugh, Lavinia nodded and decided to don her leather cuirass and bracers, along with sturdier leather pants and boots, instead of her full ceremonial platemail.

"So… Slinging spells?" Ral asked as she came back, suited in armor. "Um, you know, most people don't voluntarily exchange spells with me for some reason." He was wringing his hands, then in a display to further his point, swung them for an open shrug with a large spark cutting over from this guantleted hand with a tang of ozone.

"I can handle a small bolt or two," she dismissed. "And we're going to be focusing on the opposite of your lightning wielding."

Ral couldn't help as his face wrinkled. He liked his lightning casting. It was what he was good at, and most other magic was like pulling teeth.

She signaled him to follow her, and together they walked to the local park that was barely a slice of grass large enough to play catch.

"Watch my glyph work carefully," Lavinia instructed, and waited for confirmation. He nodded and she traced the sigil slowly, her two fingers shining with pale blue energy and leaving glowing trails.

He copied her work, but he didn't feel any pull on his mana ties and frowned. "I don't think I got it right. I'm really not very good outside of electricity and heat manipulation."

"Then watch again. Make sure you get the stroke order right and let your mana pull up on your shoulders like there's a string connected to your spine, pulling your posture right."

"Have you seen my posture?" His remark was met with uncaring eyes, and he glowered as he set to doing it again. "What's my focus?"

"Try to imagine whatever you're looking at freezing in place, but not cold."

"Next you're going to tell me I can't imagine it hot either."

"Below searing at the very least. I'll be the target in a few moments."

He frowned at that suggestion, not loving his own track record with avoiding filling those he knew with electric currents. She had to know what she was getting herself into, though. Ral tried again, choosing a tree and tracing the glyph Lavinia had taught him once more.

His spellwork tended to smell of ozone and taste like the salty air of foreign shores, the raw elements his to control and ready to aid him. Focusing his will through what he assumed to be a novitiate level Azorius charm, Ral's nose wrinkled at the smell of musty tomes that was brought forth as he finished the glyph.

It worked, he was pretty sure, as the tree he'd been staring at crackled with crisp, blue energy.

"That'll work for our purposes," Lavinia said, observing his work.

"Which are?"

"Cease and Desist. You can start by focusing that spell on me, then I cancel it and send a new one back, or redirect yours. We take turns sending and countering."

"Huh, we actually have something similar in the League. I'm surprised the Senate encourages such tomfoolery for training," Ral said, stroking his stubbled chin. 

"We would recite passages of the written Guildpact to increase the difficulty."

That sounded more like it, Ral thought with an unsurprised smirk. Lavinia walked a good ten paces from him, then held a readied hand for scribing sigils in the air, while he breathed in deeply through his nose to ready himself for magic so far outside of his comfort zone. Focusing his intent on Lavinia, he attempted to paralyse her, though her counter was so ingrained that his spell failed to leave his fingertips.

Lavinia cracked a bit of a guilty smile, then sent back the same spell. "You can spin more mana into it. I've been countering this spell since I was a candidate for the Senate's Entrance Exam."

Ral took that as the challenge it was and after shutting down the spell woven his way, sent back a tidal wave of halting magic.

The two of them played their spellwork, changing timing and angling and any other feature they could think of to pull one over on the other for close to an hour, the drill only coming to an end as Ral's tired hands slipped and his counter fell flat. The full force of the heightened spell that they'd been redirecting and powering up the last few passes hit him, and his body seized up for a few seconds until Lavinia casually dismissed it.

"I have to admit," Lavinia said as she walked back to his side," I've been wanting to do that."

As he became animate once more, a shit-eating grin came to his face and he snarkily asked," Oh, really? Need extra time to take in my roguish good looks?" His arms were heavy, and he sluggishly adjusted his dampener back up, though felt his mana was significantly drained already.

Her face was clearly unimpressed, though amused, as she deadpanned," For a few seconds of quiet actually."

"You wound me with your words," Ral said with a flourish before sinking down and resting his hands on his knees. He was more of a sprinter than a marathoner in his day to day use of magic, and that hour of measly cantrips and redirection had his brain a little foggy.

"Between your interruptions and Jace's tendency to monologue, I'm entitled to a few snappy one-liners," she said with what could be construed as a smile in the right lighting.

"You're as bad as a zino store novel," he complained. 

She gauged his breathing and body language, and took a leap of faith in patting him on the back. He stood straight up instantly, recoiling away with wary eyes.

"Sorry, I was just—"

"No, I'm just not used to…" He gestured between them with his hands and fumbled over wording. "I'm not used to people being willing to touch a live wire," he finally settled on.

"It helps that I have an hour of evidence behind me that I can counter your magic," she said nonchalantly. For once she didn't mind being cut off by the other, too ashamed of overstepping his personal boundaries.

"I suppose, though that was not a good example of my spellcasting. I'll have you know—"

Rolling her eyes, she interrupted him and asked," How do you feel, Zarek?"

From the warm tone in her serious voice, Ral backed off from his showmanship with a heavy smile. "Tired," he answered. "Better."

"If you want to come over for tea tomorrow during lunch, we can complain about how he should really just stay in his office and do his job," Lavinia offered.

"If I don't sleep through noon, I'll take you up on that," Ral accepted gratefully. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, and that any sleep he could scrape together would be in defiance of the sun's rays dictating what appropriate sleep times were.

"Afternoon tea, then," she revised. "You just might have to excuse me having some paperwork to look through."

He held out a hand, grinning with misty eyes as she unflinchingly shook it. "I'll be there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this being so late. I've been saddled with a headache all day, and boy howdy has my last week been awful. I can't wait to catch up on sleep so my eyes stop hurting. Hope y'all enjoy! I like to imagine a card of some scenes I write and the Cease and Desist training game is definitely something like:
> 
> Cease // Desist (uncommon)  
> (fuse)  
> Cease {1}{U}  
> Instant  
> Counter target creature spell.  
> Desist {1}{W}  
> Untap up to one creature your control. Tap up to one target creature you don't control.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cramming for cosplay at the end of the month. I have burned all but two of my fingers at this point, but I can't slow down. I only have two weeks to finish T.T 
> 
> This pain is what I get for my hubris in loudly declaring I can put together an Al Elric cosplay so my little cousin has someone to go to the windy city with. Keep an eye out on my twitter (same handle) or at C2E2 for an Al and Ed duo at the end of the month.
> 
> That all being said, I may be the slightest bit late with next week's update. Good chance it does go up on wednesday, equal chance it goes up saturday morning instead... My weeks are getting messed up uwu;

"I'm not wearing anything Gideon wouldn't," Chandra quickly said, eyes searching for the set of clothes that would surely be hers.

Jace unfurled the packaging, finding clothes that were magically fitted no doubt, and definitely not familiar in style. "We don't want to be rude," Jace cautioned, though he noticeably grimaced as he raised a navy dress that had his name pinned to it. The men of this plane wore dresses that began just beneath their pecs, and he lamented both the partial nudity he would be enduring and that his lack of defined pecs would be that much more obvious standing next to his boyfriend that was a head taller than him and had almost a hundred more pounds of pure muscle.

"Well, I don't want to wear a dress," Chandra said.

"Men and women both wear dresses here," Nissa quietly put forth, trying to ease tensions. She was nearly swallowed back into the background as she was quickly spoken over.

Liliana walked up to the dresses and pushed Jace out of the way so she could grab her dress, holding it up and draping across her body. It flowed like something she would have expected from Theros, though all the clothes were dyed much deeper hues. She regarded Chandra cooly as she stated," She's right, hun. Just wear the dress. Even I'll set aside my fashion taste for the sake of… diplomacy."

"I don't want to wear a _girly_ dress," Chandra clarified.

"You're a girl. You wear a skirt," Lili said a little incredulously, pointing to the long but showy skirt Chandra always donned with her armor.

"This—? This isn't a skirt," Chandra argued, grabbing hold of the faded red fabric she wore every day. "It's a—my mother's—This isn't even how you wear a sari. I keep it to remember her by. I wear shorts."

To prove her point, Chandra lifted the shawl enough to show the leather shorts she wore. "What? You thought I just went out into battle with tatters of a skirt on?"

Gideon approached and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take a moment to breathe, Chandra. This is not so big a deal as it's being made out to be. Perhaps we could—"

"It's not a big deal because I'm the only one rubbing against the grain. I get it. I should suck it up just learn to like it," Chandra jerked her shoulder away, a deep sigh replacing the impulse to superheat her pauldron. She stomped out of the room before anyone else could get a word in otherwise.

Jace held out a hand as he saw Nissa ready herself to follow. "She doesn't want to talk to you," he quickly said, wishing he knew how to say that with more tact. "Or you," he added as he noticed Gideon too had been about to follow after her. Jace spared Lili a glance but didn't intimate the obvious before breathing in slowly and leaving after Chandra.

He wasn't really sure he was up to this, but she had sent him a small flare in her mind that she wouldn't be opposed to talking to him. Well, that was worded wrongly. She wouldn't blow up at him. Probably.

She hadn't gotten very far, just to the nearby balcony overlooking the city. She leaned heavily over the stone railing, staring languidly at the lights below. Her mind was peacefully screaming; taking in the bird's eye view and regarding its beauty calmly while still fuming about what just went on, trying to string together better comebacks to defend herself and make her point even though she knew she couldn't go back and change what she said. 

"Uh," Jace eloquently began.

"Shut it."

"Hmm." Jace pressed his lips thinly as he mulled over how he could begin the obvious conversation.

"I don't want to talk," she said, keeping her eyes trained on the town below. She loved cityscapes, especially at night.

With a quirked brow, Jace flatly said," Well, that's a lie."

"Okay, but I want to sound smart and make sense about this," she whined, dropping her head to her crossed arms and groaning in frustration. "No one sounds smart talking to you."

"I'm flattered, but that's hardly true. Lili walks circles around me on a daily basis."

"If you had legs like her, wouldn't you?"

Jace rolled his eyes. "There you go being witty. I thought you said you were afraid you wouldn't sound smart."

"You're easy to pick on," Chandra said, a smile pulling at her lips. She sighed and pushed herself to standing up straight so she could turn to him. As she did look back, she got to revel in the mixed emotion playing on his face. Jace was somewhere between amused and annoyed, and it was very gratifying.

The light in his eyes flickered to concern as he approached slowly and asked," So what was that back there?"

She regarded him coolly as he took the space just beside her and placed a hand on the railing. "I just don't want to wear whatever they put together for me. Is that so strange?"

"I'm… not particularly looking forward to it either," he admitted.

"Why?"

He shrugged and looked out over the city, not up to eye contact. "I just doubt I'll be comfortable."

"Well, same."

They stood quietly for sometime, Chandra beginning to drum her fingers quickly. As Jace determined she wouldn't breakdown and just spill whatever she wanted to talk about, he tried prompting," So dresses aren't really your thing?"

"Dressing up isn't really my thing," she corrected. "I don't want to be a proper lady."

She sighed, and he waited patiently for her explanation that was sure to follow.

"My mother was always trying to force me to dress like a proper lady. Sure she wanted me to be an engineer like her, but out of the shop it was always 'brush your hair' and 'you shouldn't climb trees in a sari'. Who _cares_ if your sari gets a little muddy while you walk? It's just clothing."

Her sentiment surely rang true with the state of the—sari, did she call it?—that hung around her hips. It looked old and like it had survived, well… _Chandra_.

"The monks learned quickly. I don't like girly clothes, and I beat up people who suggest I should." A few curls of her red hair rose in quickly dying flames. "I—I don't know… I don't want to… be seen as a girl just because of how I dress and look? Like, maybe it's just rebellion to the expectations everyone seems to get to place on me just because I have a chest, but I don't maybe even feel like a girl sometimes."

Tears were beginning to gather in her eyes, steaming when they threatened to spill. A sense of great trust and uneasy fear weighed her down as she looked apprehensively into Jace's eyes. He swallowed nervously, taking in her psychic state, and treaded carefully into the difficult conversation at hand. 

"That's not weird, like you're afraid it is," he started with. "It's actually pretty normal, though many people shy away from thinking about it. I don't know how Kaladesh is about such things, but I've found the dichotomy of boy versus girl to be unfairly pushed and to force people into settling quite often."

That weight that had making breathing seem laborious was suddenly lifted, and with the ghost of a whisper, Chandra asked," It's not? Not weird, I mean… you know because you, like, read it in people's heads and stuff?"

Jace nodded, then added," And have thought about it myself."

Her face opened, shining with affirmation and relief, though fell quickly. "I feel guilty. It's not that I'm ashamed of being a woman—I'm _proud_ to be an ass-kicking woman—but I just…"

Her mind trailed, stuck in trying to find the right word. She looked to Jace for help, knowing he was in her mind already.

"Resent," he supplied.

"Yeah, resent. I just resent that that's what people immediately peg me as, and… that they feel they can make assumptions about me just because of their maybe wrong assumptions." She looked out to the city scape and gritted her teeth. "It's not fair, and it's dumb."

Jace looked out over the city silently, then leaned over the railing like she had been when he first approached her. She joined him, then rested shoulder to shoulder and let her head softly meet his. She was too tall to lay her head on his shoulder.

"I've wanted to dress up before, get all pretty, but—" She cut off with a frustrated sigh. 

"You don't want to have to. Be pretty," he finished. 

"I'm repeating myself," she lamented. 

"Only a little."

She smirked at his gentle jab, and pushed into his shoulder with mild protest. 

They looked out into the city for a few minutes without saying anything. He could feel she was trying to order her thoughts, and wanted to give her ample time to do so. 

"It's not wrong to want to be handsome," she said abruptly," or to want to make the decision yourself." Her voice held an edge, like she was trying to convince someone—probably herself. 

Having been contemplating the idea since he came out here, and finally cementing it as reasonable, he proposed," Why don't we switch dresses?"

She leaned away and looked to him with surprise. "Really? You mean it? But won't you be uncomfortable?"

Have shrugged and said under his breath," I'll be uncomfortable no matter what if I don't use illusions."

"But my…" She gestured awkwardly at her chest. 

"We'll put together a vest."

She screwed up her face as she thought this through. "What will the others say?"

"I'm sure we'll find out sooner rather than later."

Suddenly, Chandra burst out in a fit of giggles. At Jace's nonplussed expression, she managed to force out," I've never seen you without your dorky blue… ensemble."

With a glare that held little force, Jace quipped," Well now you'll be the one in the dorky blue ensemble."

She laughed harder, tears springing to her eyes but not boiling away. When she finally quieted down, she said," Thank you, Jace."

Her burgeoning smile was infectious, and Jace smiled back warmly. "Of course. Anytime."

~~  
~~

The party was hardly a party in Chandra's eyes, more a dull gathering where much too many people were forced to stand and socialize— _quietly_. Who expected parties to be _quiet_ —until they could finally be lead to their tables and be served food. Liliana seemed to be enjoying it despite her bored tone leading up to the event, but Chandra didn't know if that was simply because she was a good actress and playing a grateful guest for dimplocay's sake or if she genuinely enjoyed it.

She held her flute of too-sweet wine that had long since gone warm in her natural furnace of a grip and searched the crowd of people for the others of her watch. It didn't surprise her that she couldn't find Nissa, though she made note to search for her as soon as she located the others. It did surprise her that she couldn't find Gideon at first, Liliana and Jace even looking tall on this plane, until she picked him out sitting next to Jace on the lip of an ivory fountain.

He looked comfortable enough with the light blue dress that Therafin's people had made for him, and as her eyes trailed over his form slowly, she privately thought she wouldn't be disappointed if he decided to keep and wear the dress again. Jace was wilting beside him, wearing the orange dress that had been intended for her, and Chandra sympathetically thought she owed him another thanks, though he seemed he'd be no more comfortable if he were in his own clothes.

The exhaustion of the fight and the proximity of so many minds was making him withdraw into his shell even more than usual. She suspected he was maintaining an illusion, a wound he'd taken in the stand off peculiarly missing from his left shoulder and his smooth skin looking just a little less pallid than normal despite the dress washing him out.

Her friends accounted for, Chandra decided to set to finding Nissa, who had said she'd be right back going on twenty minutes ago. 

"There you are," Chandra said softly, a look of triumph on her face as she found Nissa in the courtyard. It wasn't a hard deduction by any means, but she had even correctly guessed how Nissa was tending to the plants like it was her garden she was responsible for.

Nissa turned about in surprise, hand still cupping a drooping branch from a tree that needed more sunlight that the high walled courtyard provided.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Chandra apologized, frowning at the gloomy slope of Nissa's shoulders and the way her eyes had snapped to Chandra like she'd been caught red handed, but quickly rested on her feet.

"No worries, I was just deep in thought," Nissa said, shaking her head. "Sorry, I got lost on the way."

Chandra didn't know if Nissa meant lost in thought or lost in the sea of people, but suspected it might be both. Stepping a little closer so she could make her voice a little quieter, she asked," Is something wrong?"

"No! Um, it's nothing. Just… Jace said you didn't want to talk to me earlier," Nissa began tentatively, her brow cinched with hurt feelings she was trying to put aside.

"Oh, um, I mean… It's just I was…" Chandra pouted and crossed her arms as she tried to decide on a word. "I was embarrassed. And…" _I was afraid you wouldn't like me anymore_. As much as Nissa and Jace had begun to study together and discuss leylines in a way that only they could understand, Chandra was so thankful that being a mind mage wasn't contagious or something.

"Why would you be embarrassed expressing how you feel to me?" Nissa wasn't trying to guilt Chandra, but she wanted to understand so she could prevent that from ever happening again. Chandra was the one person in the multiverse Nissa had learned to trust completely who hadn't ruined it by sharing ulterior motives. She had thought Chandra shared the same trust in her.

"Well, it's just…" Chandra distracted herself by playing with her mother's sari that Liliana had helped her pin into a more concealing vest. It had been so many years since she'd seen this tattered shred of fabric behave somewhat like the garment it was intended to be, and it was dredging up feelings that she'd been able to ignore for so long.

As Chandra's eyes hesitantly rose to Nissa's, she took in the gentle, concerned look on Nissa's face and blurted," You like women."

That had not been what Nissa had been expecting, and her face reflected this confusion as she stuttered out," Yes?"

"And I was maybe feeling like, well, I don't exactly know, but sometimes I—"

Nissa held Chandra's hand and smiled. "Breathe with me."

Chandra inhaled and exhaled in the too slow of breaths with Nissa, taking the time to solidify her thoughts. "Sometimes I don't feel like a woman," she admitted once her thoughts finally had enough time to settle into sensible words. "And I was afraid you wouldn't like me anymore."

"Oh, Chandra," Nissa whispered, pain for both of them lining her eyes. "No, of course I wouldn't stop liking you." Her ears drooped as she thought of what she may have said to encourage these fears. As tears began to collect and fall down Chandra's cheeks, Nissa raised both hands to cup her face gently and wipe away tears with her thumbs.

"But what if I didn't feel like a woman? Anymore or for a bit or…?"

Nissa leaned in, but let Chandra connect the kiss, smiling against her partner's lips. "That doesn't matter to me," she whispered as they pulled away. "What matters to me is that you're comfortable with you, with me. That we're happy together."

Chandra giggled through her tears and said," You're the best, you know that? I'm sorry I was scared to talk to you."

Nissa giggled lightly, and Chandra's heart warned her it might give out if she heard such an angelic laugh too often. "I certainly can't say anything about being unsure of how to start a conversation." She closed her eyes and she leaned into Chandra's embrace and kissed her neck.

They had drawn some attention with their earnest conversation and light kisses, and Chandra looked around at the onlookers with a defined look of, _I dare you to keep staring_ , her hair threatening to light up until they gave the couple the privacy they desired before Nissa noticed. Chandra couldn't care less, feeling the Gatewatch had done enough for them to warrant any emotive display she felt like revealing. The thought of the distress it would bring Nissa to be under the judging eyes of so many wrenched Chandra's heart though, and she would do anything she could to prevent her girlfriend such needless anxiety.


	10. Chapter 10

Jace stumbled into the lodging that had been provided for them, the hours long party having drained every shred of energy he had. Glyscera, the capital of Therafin, had little in the way of spare rooms—a metropolis that had been built on the side of a cliff out of necessity and sprawled beyond its means—but as saviors of the city, they'd been presented with a three bedroom apartment, each room offering two twin beds, with a living room that was slightly claustrophobic to stand in with more than one other person. It was considered spacious.

He brought up the rear of the Gatewatch as everyone piled into the apartment, and with a grateful sigh, he closed the door and leaned back against it with closed eyes. Diplomacy was potentially going to be more difficult than actually staving off threats to the multiverse.

"Woah."

Jace opened his eyes and curiously looked to what might have surprised Chandra enough to comment, and he realized with a blush and sinking stomach, _it was him_. The dress that had been fitted for Chandra covered more than the blue dress would have, but the neckline was plunging enough he'd had to be careful not to show off a nipple—it having been cut for someone with an ample bossom and not his flat chest—and the sleeves were gathered such that they draped and revealed large swatches of skin down the length of either arm.

Beneath the orange linen laid his pinkish yellow scars, the illusion having faltered on their tired slog to the apartment. Everyone save Nissa looked at him with some blend of fascination or concern, and if his energy wasn't so thoroughly tapped he would have entered the Blind Eternities right then and there.

His hand subconsciously scrabbled for the doorknob and the only thought he could manage was wondering if he could make it to the potted plant at the end of the hallway before he was sick.

Realizing her mistake, Chandra covered her mouth embarrassedly and squeaked," Sorry!"

Nissa quietly gabbed Chandra's hand and pulled her into a bedroom to lessen the stares upon him, knowing that would be what would help her most in this sort of instance. Liliana still bore a pointed eyebrow, clearly curious—the scars on his back had been there, she'd helped him get back to sleep after dreams of Tezzeret by massaging his back with her cold hands; however, the poorly healed burns were new and even in their most intense making out she hadn't peeled his vest off him—but followed Nissa's approach and wordlessly claimed another bedroom.

"I-if you'd like the last bedroom, I can make do with the bench in the living room," Gideon offered, granting Jace the privacy he might need in hopes he wouldn't flee.

Tears gathering and threatening to spill, Jace could only shake his head, barely able to comprehend Gideon's words as the world around him began to shrink. The busy city life outside was absent and tunnel vision only let him see the folds of the dress he wore, the vibrant orange swimming in his vision like live flames.

Gideon tested the waters and took a tentative step forward. His voice was soft enough all the consonants didn't land as he asked," Please don't leave."

Leaving was becoming increasingly impossible, Jace thought vaguely, his chest beginning to burn as his breathing became more and more useless. His fumbling to open the door was fruitless and now he just held onto the knob to keep from falling. Was sinking through the floor an option? 

He looked up dizzily to Gideon, noting the green coming through in his hazel eyes. It wasn't particularly bright in this apartment, a handful of magical candles offering dim light that would be a pain to read under. His eyes must be focused, Jace deduced and timidly reached out with his thoughts, afraid the focus was on his scars.

Gideon felt the presence in his head, starting to be able to note the gentle perusals Jace often sent out when being approached while he was reading or scrying. He made his mind as open as he could, not sure exactly how it worked but wanting Jace to feel welcome.

_What would you make you feel better? How can I help?_

Jace's voice was thin and small as he answered. "Help me to bed?"

"Can I touch your hip and arm? To support you?"

Gideon's mind was flooded with an affirmative sensation, but he still cautiously closed the distance, gauging Jace's physical response to his approach. His lips pulled tight and his eyes looked on searchingly as Jace seemed dead to the world and didn't physically acknowledge his presence, even as he placed a gentle hand on one elbow.

He focused and tried to direct his thoughts into a single, concise sentence. " _Is this okay? Is it okay that I'm touching you? Anywhere I should avoid?_ "

Jace's response was to bodily collapse into him, knees wobbling as soon as he stepped away from the door. " _Hold me_."

"Of course, Jace. I can do that," Gideon whispered, pulling Jace close. The two of them claimed the last bedroom, and Gideon gingerly set Jace down on one of its beds. As unease infiltrated his mind so strongly it felt like his own and that he might be sick, Gideon quickly joined him and wrapped him up once more.

The candles went out, the enchantment that lit them and all the other candles in the building on some sort of timed use and all snuffing out on the hour the central bell tower chimed. Jace shuddered, though felt a little relief after the fact that Gideon could no longer see his scars.

"Jace?" The man had gone unnaturally still and stiff in his arms after the shiver.

"I'm sorry I overreacted," Jace said with an apathetic voice, forcing speech over his lead tongue," That had to be such a waste of your time."

"What? No, it wasn't a waste of my time," Gideon assured him, rubbing his back. "Thank you for trusting me to take care of you in such a difficult moment."

Jace leaned into the physical affection, desperate to believe Gideon wanted to be here for him but willing to accept a lie for the time being—unwilling to check the veracity of Gideon's words out of fear. 

Hoping to put Jace's return to speech to good use, Gideon asked," What do you need?" 

Jace couldn't immediately answer, shocked by the question. "Um, my vest. My normal clothes with my vest."

He craned his neck to look Gideon in the eyes again, disappointed he couldn't see the warm amber irises with any clear definition in the inky shadows of the unlit room. Moonlight peered through the one window, but at an angle that lit nothing but the floor.

"Sure. Where did you leave them?"

They'd been in kind of a rush after the battle and before the party, so he'd dressed in the first bedroom on his left after coming in from the balcony talk with Chandra, and had left his clothes folded under the bed that Chandra or Nissa was presumably sleeping in now. Eyes faintly glowing, he shared the _exact_ location, remembering the discolored floorboard and how close the wall and been on his right.

"I'll go get them. Just wait here," Gideon said with a firm nod, rubbing Jace's back one more time before getting to his feet and leaving the room with purpose. 

Knocking hesitantly at the door, he called softly," Chandra? Nissa?"

"Gids?" The door opened ever so slightly as Chandra cracked it open and looked out with the meekest look he'd ever seen on her face. 

"Sorry to bother you at this hour, but—"

"No, come in, come in," Chandra muttered more to herself than anything, but she opened the door and gestured for him to enter. A small string of expletives left her, and she ran her fingers through hair. "Is he okay? I didn't mean to—you know I wouldn't—"

Gideon held his hands up calmly and shushed her reassuringly. "It's okay, Chandra. He's okay. I need his clothes though."

Quiet was not Chandra's strong suit, but she tried to be as she whispered," I was just surprised! Did you see—did you know?"

"I don't know anymore than you," Gideon admitted.

Nissa interrupted them, holding Jace's clothes out to Gideon's chest, where he accepted them gratefully. "This isn't the time or place," she said calmly. "There you go."

She was right, of course, Gideon acknowledged. His shoulders slumped with a little shame and he nodded.

Nissa's face froze, aside from her eyes that swept upwards at some invisible focus, then reanimated a second later as she turned to Chandra and placed a hand on her shoulder to encourage her to follow her back to bed. As he took Jace's clothes with him and shut the door behind him, Gideon caught her whispering to Chandra," Baltrice? Does that mean anything to you?"

From the grave expression that recieved, he took it that did mean something to Chandra, and it couldn't be anything good. Before he could travel the little ways back to the room Jace and he would be sharing, he was interrupted by the third bedroom door opening.

"Oh, sorry to disturb you, Liliana. I think he'd prefer if we all just went back to b—"

"Shut up," she said without her normal bite," I'm trying to be nice and offer advice here."

Gideon didn't appreciate her tactless delivery, but he was willing to listen to the woman who probably knew Jace better than anyone else here. While they clearly had a torrid history, if she had any insight on how to make him feel better, he would take it under consideration.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she reluctantly said," The scars on his back—"

"I don't need to know their history unless he tells me," Gideon cut her off as gently as he could. He was pretty sure Jace was watching the common room and he firmly believed a man's scars where his own.

"No, I was just going to say—" Her face screwed up with unreadable emotion, and she looked away as she finished," Cold hands make those scars feel better sometimes." She didn't stick around to see his reaction to this information, quickly shutting her door, but if she had, she would have seen a cautiously optimistic Gideon.

He quietly let himself back into the room, eyes immediately searching for Jace and relief washing over him as he saw Jace was still sitting where he left him. The thought that Jace might just turn himself invisible and bolt had occurred to him, and Gideon was honored Jace trusted him enough to stay.

"Sorry for the wait," Gideon murmured. "You were, um…?" He clutched the clothes to his chest with one arm so he could use his hand to gesture to the ceiling with lightly curled fingers in his best attempt to convey clairvoyance.

Jace stood and closed the distance between them, holding out his hands for his clothes but looking to the floor. "…Yeah."

"Chandra really meant nothing by it. She feels horrible," Gideon said as he handed over Jace's clothes. He regretted his choice of words as this brought a small sting of pain to Jace's features.

"I know," he said, turning about to offer himself some privacy.

Gideon followed suit and tried explaining a little better," She's just concerned. She's worried she hurt you and wants to make things better."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," Jace decided aloud. "She knows more than she thinks she does. I just haven't explained everything."

"You don't have to, not if you don't want to," Gideon assured him, resisting the urge to look to his conversation partner with an earnest gaze.

Jace quickly slipped into his everyday clothes, donning the well worn cape with a thin smile and feeling he should really thank Ral again for setting up its rescue. "I know I don't, but I think I'm finally ready." The night he'd opened up about his burns with Ral had ended up a good night, and the fact that Gideon insisted he was okay not knowing their history if Jace didn't want to share about them emboldened him with relief.

"You can turn around," Jace said, then embarrassedly added," Thank you."

He sat on one of the beds and patted it, waiting until Gideon took the seat next to him to speak more. Jace laughed with relief as he held out a hand and Gideon took it in his own. "Um, I have a lot of scars," Jace began, blushing at the obvious nature of the statement.

"Th-the ones on my back are from a particular night, when I disappointed my employer."

Gideon hadn't even seen those scars very well, but Liliana had spoken of them, and he supposed Jace had heard that. He held silent, but the thought that an employer had left scars brought more questions to Gideon's mind than it answered.

"Um, I guess I have a nightmare about that enough… You might have that dream…?" 

"I'll have your dream?"

"I'm… I sometimes…" Jace puzzled over how he should introduce the subject, especially since he was about to share the room with the man he was explaining it to. "Sometimes I share dreams, and I can't really control it." Without a breath, he quickly blurted," I-I'm sorry if I see one of your dreams, I really can't control it. I'm not trying to pry, I promise!"

"I don't generally remember my dreams. I don't know what you would see."

"Well, I'll try to meditate before bed so neither of us share," Jace mumbled.

"I hope you don't have any nightmare at all, but if you share one, we'll deal with it then."

If Jace didn't know better, he may have accused Gideon of being the mind reader for knowing exactly what words would make him feel better.

"So, yeah, that's a whole thing," Jace concluded rather unsatisfactorily. "And, um, the same man kept me captive sometime later and had me interrogated by a pyromancer." That was bending the truth; Baltrice had sought no knowledge and only desired to torture him. He also left Liliana's part in all of it out of his explanation, now determined more than ever after his time in the future to clear her contracts and help her turn a new leaf.

"Oh, Jace, that's…" Gideon pulled Jace into a warm embrace. "I'm sorry, that's awful."

Jace melted under Gideon's tender understanding and leaned into the hug thankfully. "It was a long time ago," he said, though it wasn't honestly that long ago in the grand scope of how far back he could remember. Out of the decade of memories he had to his name, it was only a couple years ago.

"Where did this happen? Is that man still—?"

"He's a planeswalker, so multiple places," Jace answered, never having actually learned the name of the plane that hosted the Iron Tower, and feeling a tad ridiculous for not knowing the name of the plane he'd been tortured on for over a month. "But, ah, I killed him. I… I hope he's dead."

"Otherwise I will face him by your side. We all would, the Gatewatch, Ral," Gideon promised, planting a kiss on Jace's forehead. The way Jace squeezed him close felt both thankful and terrified, and Gideon's heart felt like it could literally break. He ran one hand through Jace's hair as he whispered calming words to his partner. 

"We should try to get some sleep. I'm going to have a long day with the Guildmeet tomorrow," Jace said reluctantly, and Gideon too seemed hesitant to let go of Jace but yielded as the other pulled away. Jace walked over to the other bed, frowning at the thought of sleeping alone in the same room as someone once more; all of the risk in sharing his dreams, none of the safety of someone's arms wrapping him up and making him feel safe. Jace didn't want to bother Gideon and was embarrassed by how much emotional support he'd already needed though, so he didn't mention it. He just collapsed to the bed exhausted.

While Jace was so painfully tired, it was hard to get to sleep after all that. His mind started racing any time he shut his eyes even after twenty minutes of meditating, fear of what dreams he might have and such a stressful night and if he would share them making it hard to breathe. Carefully, he opened his mind and felt Gideon was still awake, then shyly asked," Would you be okay with sharing a bed?"

"I barely fit on the bed myself," Gideon said good-humoredly.

"Oh, right, I didn't—"

"So I'd need to pull them together."

Jace's heart skipped a beat as he looked over to Gideon who was already getting to his feet to do as he suggested.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaning into that mature rating I gave this story for the latter half of the chapter. I can't wait for the con, but I sure wish I had just a few more days to finish my cosplay. Had the lovely and ever classic "cry over your sewing at midnight" moment most nights this past week. If you're enjoying this story, I'd love to hear it, even in just a string of emojis. I could use a pick-me-up after this hell month.

Ral had awaited their return to Ravnica with anticipation, and blew off his guild work for the rest of the day when he got such a large lightning bug that he'd known it had to be the Gatewatch without even reading the results. He wondered if they realized how conspicuous they all were, planeswalking as a group and leaving aether trails large enough he could almost taste the air of the plane they came from without even greeting them face to face.

He waited as long as he could manage in some comical attempt to avoid seeming desperate before heading out from his lab. Despite his relief and joy that they were finally back on Ravnica, Ral found himself raising the resistance on his dampener at every turn of the street he took.

A fair amount of anxiety rested in this meeting too.

This was their first time dealing with Jace and Gideon coming back from an extended time off-plane. It wasn't even that long compared to Zendikar and Innistrad or the million other small trips Jace had used to take while shirking his Guildpact duties before Ral knew him well enough to personally give him hell for it.

This was Ral's first time, period, welcoming a partner home at all, and the thought left a kind of punch-drunk flutter in his chest. Did they hug? Get drinks together? Certainly, he should act like he hadn't just about lost his mind with worry. Oh, right, and among firsts, he didn't know how to thank a friend for keeping him sane, but Lavinia certainly deserved some recognition.

Ral found it hard to swallow as he approached the Greenbelt, where the closest teleportal to the sanctum was nestled today. Jace had been a little horrified when he realized how easy it was for Ral to track where his handful of teleportals were connected, and hadn't found Ral's pointing out he was using unmodified Izzet tech comforting. 

He could just turn back now, and no one would be the wiser that he had found himself too nervous, too scared to come off as needy. Ral could just wait for one of them to reach out to him. 

What if the two days hadn't seemed like long at all to them and they didn't get why he was so eager to check on them? They would have surely have shared stories that he knew nothing about that would be fresh and interesting rather than his stale news. He had accomplished nothing but his rote work for the League.

His stomach soured at this train of thought, and Ral came to an unsteady halt in the middle of the street. A few other pedestrians pushed passed him, and his dampener did him proud as he managed not to shock any of them in his weak-kneed state.

Scorned to the side so he was out of foot traffic's way, Ral came to lean against a lamp post, charging it to being lit even though it was scheduled for only being active at night. Several people walking nearby commented on the sudden chill in the air, and Ral cheeks grew warm. He should just head home before he made any further a fool of himself.

"Ral!"

He looked up with surprise, easily picking out the broad frame of Gideon. Self-consciously brushing the gathering tears from his eyes, he forced himself to stand up a little straighter.

"Gideon," he began edgily," What are you doing in the Greenbelt?"

An inviting smile pulled at his face as he walked up, and Gideon commented," Almost missed you. I was on my way to your lab to see if your were up for dinner tonight. Jace is caught up in some diplomatic matters at the moment."

It would be unlikely in such a broad square for them to bump into each other so timely, and Ral broadly asked," How'd you…?"

Gideon pointed upwards, and Ral let his gaze follow, having to bite down shame as he realized he'd given himself a spotlight when he'd wanted to fade away most. "Oh," he flatly said, looking to his feet and cumbersomely crossing his arms.

"Everything alright?"

"Um, yeah, y-yeah. Everything's great. Just finished up some lab work." A sharp rising sensation assailed his stomach and Ral knew he was about as convincing as an Azorius comedian. "I-I- might just have to catch you guys tomorrow. Errands and all that," Ral stuttered out, scratching at his neck while still looking away. He righted himself to start walking away as soon as he put the nail in the coffin on hanging out.

"Oh, alright," Gideon said, visibly deflating enough that even Ral caught it in his peripheral vision. He didn't want to press Ral and make the other feel guilty, but the idea of a nice, calm meal with his boyfriends sounded like the perfect way to unwind from their rushed time on Therafin. "If you're too busy…"

Gideon sounded genuinely disappointed, and Ral wanted to believe it was sincere, but his brain screamed at him that Gideon was just a good actor. 

A small voice pulled from the edge of saying he really was too busy, berating himself for losing the nerve to hang out when he had been on the verge of mentally crashing just the day before because he _couldn't_ see them.

He thought back to how Jace had stayed by his side in Zendikar's future, weathering over a week of his brain tormenting them both, proof people could break one's expectations and push through plenty of reasonable excuses to leave. How patient and kind Gideon had been as he helped navigate him to the second district for shopping, having a torrential breakdown on the way—enough to actually cause Gideon cardiac distress.

Ral pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind raced and he backtracked," S-sorry. They can wait—the errands. I didn't know what time you'd be coming back."

He felt Gideon draw near and flinched away, then looked up to the man with all the internal conflict he was wrestling with plain on his face.

Gideon's outstretched hand withdrew shamefacedly, fingers curling and taking up less space in their retreat.

"I just…" Ral didn't know Gideon like he knew Jace; they didn't have that rote conversation memorized together or the months of travel that made certain contact common or even expected. Gideon's magic could similarly keep himself alive like Jace's could, just more reactionary they preventatively. Forcing a light, lilting tone, he joked," I almost killed you a week ago. Even you can't be so forgiving you harbor no resentment."

"There's nothing to forgive," Gideon said with a wave of the hand. "I should really watch myself more closely. I never want to make anyone uncomfortable."

Having to crane his neck to look Gideon in the eyes, Ral privately thought that it was perhaps inevitable to some degree. A little more auspiciously, he said," I'm less worried about being uncomfortable than I am about stopping your heart." Gideon had a tendency to reach out at Ral's exact most dangerous times to be touched.

"Neither is good."

"Well, no," Ral found himself having to agree, as well as having to smirk at the irreverence of comparing mild discomfort to life-ending heart palpitations.

Yet again, Gideon had disarmed him from galvanic self-destruction to butterflies in the course of minutes.

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

Ral realized there were tears in his eyes as Gideon asked this, and breathlessly laughed. "Yeah," he said, wiping his eyes. "Let's pick out a place to take Jace for dinner."

~~  
~~

"So now that you know you can spend some time offworld, where are you planning on first?" Nissa asked softly, eyes not leaving her lute as she fiddled with it under the tree on the roof of the sanctum. Chandra sat cross legged in front of her and was busy playing with the grass.

Chandra pouted and demanded," Why is everyone giving me such a hard time about that?"

"Maybe we're all just surprised you had the patience to stay in one place so long," Nissa teased.

"Not you too! That's what Gids said," Chandra whined as she dramatically fell back to lay in the grass she'd been tormenting during Nissa's music practice.

Nissa looked up from her lute, an amused grin cracking her usually serious expression. It settled into a more assured smile as she pushed herself to try and do what she fantasized about. 

Setting her lute to the side, she crawled up and placed a hand beside both of Chandra's hips and looked down at her girlfriend with a mix of exhilaration and fear. She'd never had time to forge a romantic relationship before leaving the Joraga, and while she'd exchanged kisses a few times in her brief stint planeswalking before she settled into learning the Tajuru elves ways, the day the Eldrazi had risen and claimed her squad had also claimed her interest in finding love.

"Nissa?" 

Fear nearly overwhelmed Nissa and sent her spiraling back—fear of overstepping her boundaries despite Chandra often mentioning she wouldn't mind going further than a kiss, fear that if she did go further she would make a fool of herself, fear that—

The elation in Chandra's face was open and clear enough that even the shy, reclusive elf could see that her initiative was being met with appreciation. Fingers danced over her wrists pulling her closer even with their feather light embrace.

Nissa laughed, a hollow edge of panic still clouding her voice as she admitted," I've never done this before!"

"What? Pinned down your girlfriend and ravished her?" 

Chandra's hands were warm as they more concretely grabbed Nissa's wrists, and Nissa melted under their touch as they massaged their way up her arms and rested on her shoulders. Nissa found it hard to respond to Chandra's question, because… "Yes, neither of those things," she said, blushing. She'd never pinned someone romantically, or had a girlfriend, or ravished someone, assuming the last one was a way of alluding to sexual interactions.

Chandra paused and thought about what she should say in response, something she wasn't the best at and was proud of herself remembering to do with something this important. "I'm your first?" Her tone was much less flirtatious, even keel and exact as she chose her words. As Nissa nodded and frowned self-consciously, Chandra squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.

She hadn't considered the possibility. Nissa was older than her. Not Liliana-old, but definitely had a few decades on her if her odd comments here and there were anything to go by. Chandra didn't exactly sleep around, but she'd had relations with men and women on many planes ranging from one night flings to couple month trysts since she'd been a young adult at Keral Keep.

"Do you trust me?" Chandra held her breath as she waited for Nissa's response, her smile falling more as every second went by.

Nissa's heartbeat felt like it might escape her chest as Chandra asked her such a meaningful question, and it took her a few seconds to find composure enough to speak. "Yes," she said, tears in her eyes. She couldn't remember a time she'd cried from happiness that didn't involve a grueling day defeating eldrazi, and she laughed with a little surprise. "Yes, entirely. I trust you."

Nissa lowered herself so her lips neared Chandra's and she could feel the heat rising from her skin. Chandra's lips were so full, and as she moved on to plant small kisses on her sharp cheeks and strong jaw, she found it hard to understand how she'd settled for just the chaste kisses she'd timidly left their encounters at.

As she had to pull away and cough to the side, Nissa felt a sharp contrast of cold, sinking thoughts weighing her down— _what if Chandra was grossed out and didn't want to continue_ —until she heard a flustered laugh and Chandra quickly apologizing. "Sorry, sorry! Heat rises and all that. We should probably switch places if you like breathing."

The rational thought that breathing meant this could last longer didn't register as Nissa protested," But I want to pin you."

Chandra was pretty sure no one had ever said something so sexy to her, but the barest caution of fire safety managed to surface in her mind and she suggested," Pin me to the tree?" Her skin wasn't so hot that it would cause burns over minutes or even a handful of hours, but the lungs could get irritated pretty easily, especially if they weren't used to it.

Wielding her elven strength, Nissa easily stood up supporting Chandra and turned to push her against the tree. A split second of panic hiccuped in Nissa's expression, her hands releasing Chandra's tunic and curling uselessly against her shoulders.

"Woah, Nissa, if we're moving too fast," Chandra quickly murmured, her brow raising in concern as gentle hands gripped Nissa's elbows and offered to push some distance before them.

"No, please. I just need… a moment…" Nissa forced herself to breathe and let her eyes roam searchingly across Chandra. Those arms that held hers comfortingly; the way her chest heaved with excitement—not fear; the frown that played at her full lips in concert with her sympathetic eyes… Her mind still insisted on bringing forth her worries that she didn't understand her human teammates, that she didn't understand their varied cultures and expectations, and Nissa's ears drooped as she cast her eyes down and meekly asked," You want this, right? I haven't misled you or interpreted this wrong?"

"What? No, I really want this," Chandra answered, rubbing her hands up Nissa's arms to enclose around her petite shoulders. 

Nissa drank in Chandra's literal warmth, feeling the care in her caress and words. "I-I do too. I'm just…"

"Nervous?"

Nissa would have eventually found the word 'scared', but nervous worked too, so she nodded with closed eyes in shame.

"That's normal," Chandra whispered, leaning forward so that their foreheads touched. "But you've got nothing to worry about. I'll be here with you every step of the way, and if it gets to be too much, we can stop at any time."

Chandra had waited this long, and if it meant Nissa was more comfortable, she'd wait until the day she died. Just being close with Nissa made her so happy, and she'd never want to force something on her. Frowning as she thought about how hard it seemed for Nissa to say no in casual conversation, she asked," Why don't we make a safeword?"

"Safeword?" Nissa echoed as she pulled away with some confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, a word you could say and we would stop no questions asked."

"O-okay," Nissa agreed, a little heartened by the thought. 

And so after deciding on a word, Nissa began to encourage a flowering vine running up the side of the tree to snare Chandra's wrists that she held over her head.

Chandra tested the hold and smirked. "These are way better than padded manacles," she whispered mostly to herself. As Nissa quirked an eyebrow and hummed inquisitively, Chandra laughed and said," I can explain later. Let's get to that ravishing part."

That was all the further encouragement Nissa needed, and she began kissing Chandra with even more fervor than before. Excitement sent butterflies through her stomach as she leaned forward and licked the outer bell of Chandra's soft, human ear, then began to nibble. The moan that left Chandra had Nissa eager to try all the little things she'd been dreaming about, and she began to kiss her way down Chandra's neck until she felt she wasn't savoring this enough. She didn't just want to kiss Chandra, she was now motivated by the suggestion to _ravish_ her.

Sucking lightly on her neck, Nissa used her hands to rub up Chandra's sides, one hand nervously breaking away to encompass Chandra's breast. It was soft and heavy in her hand and Nissa felt a tad ridiculous for how it stirred such feelings in her stomach just to hold Chandra close in such a manner.

"Is this okay?" she whispered into the crook of Chandra's neck, smiling against her skin as Chandra eagerly moaned a positive response. She began to knead softly, her ministrations growing larger as she grew more confident, until she became confident and needy enough that the fabric between her and Chandra became almost villainous for keeping them apart.

Abandoning Chandra's neck brought a disappointed keen from the back of the throat, and Nissa almost apologized and returned to leaving hickeys, but with an assertive grin, she lowered herself to her knees and snaked her hands under Chandra's tunic, lifting it so she could place a gentle kiss on the soft valley of her hip. She had been nervous for so long, but with Chandra's trust and focus on ensuring Nissa trusted her back, Nissa felt safe to explore her girlfriend's body; she wanted to feel all of Chandra and express her love with her lips across the entirety of her skin.

"Oh, Nissa," Chandra called out softly. With a little desperation, she begged," Please." She bucked lightly as Nissa continued peppering soft kisses, and moaned as Nissa tempted the waist line of her shorts with one finger. 

With an eager smile, Nissa eased Chandra's shorts down.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, sorry about the missed update from last wednesday! C2E2 was amazing--I met my heroes and made them laugh and they loved my cosplay and I'm still not over it *sobs with joy*--but it kind of destroyed me. Here's the update, and I'll try to get the next chapter out before this wednesday, and still keep my wednesday post on time.

A breach in the aether came to the attention of Gideon, making him lift his head up from the long process of oiling his sural. A shrill tone left Ral's gauntlet, as stripped apart as it was, and the other stopped tightening a bolt to pick it up and read something on the outer shell.

The two of them had been working in relative silence in Gideon's gym, and it had been a surprisingly agreeable way to maintain his gear for Ral. Between Gideon's soldier experience and training and Ral's grumpy lab presence, they worked well in silence. The sheer quantity of weapons Gideon upkeeped and precision detail of Ral's gear meant they both had a long night of oiling and waxing pieces to keep their beloved equipment in tip top condition.

"Looks like Jace is back," Ral commented, reading the lightning bug he'd just received.

Gideon smiled and looked in the direction of the break in the Blind Eternities. "Felt that too?"

"Y-yeah," Ral trailed, feeling a little daft as he only now felt the tug Gideon was referring to, and recognizing it probably would have escaped him entirely had Gideon not mentioned it. It had to be at least as far away as the courtyard, if not a little beyond that.

Gideon didn't seem in a rush, finishing taking care of his sural with the same care he'd been showing before Jace's arrival, so Ral took his time piecing his dismantled gauntlet back together. Gideon probably figured Jace would swing by, and Ral himself let his awareness be open should Jace be scanning the sanctum for who was still up at this hour.

Jace stumbled into the Gym sometime later, a cup of coffee in his hands and bags under his eyes.

"You look like shit," Ral commented as he looked up from securing his gauntlet on his wrist.

"Thanks," Jace said after a yawn. "I've been up since sunrise and in meetings or tracking other planeswalkers down all day. Still have a Dimir complaint to decipher once I think the enchantment won't fry my brain."

"Planeswalkers? What for?" Gideon pushed himself to his feet and neared Jace, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, just thought we should connect with Tamiyo," Jace said. "She's from Kamigawa, which I have some familiarity with, and has quite an interesting group of friends that swing through."

He'd also been plagued with dreams about using her second scroll recently, and a sigh of relief left him as this seemed to confirm that he hadn't spilled his nightmares into their sleep for the past while. She'd told him he needed to let go and think about continuing his own story; she was trying to do so herself.

He sipped his coffee reticently, and let himself be pulled into a half hug by Gideon gratefully.

Gideon gave a sympathetic squeeze as Jace yawned again, and reminded him," If it was for the sake of Gatewatch relations, you should have asked for my help."

"Right," Jace said with a small smile that showed a little guilt. It was going to be hard for him to defer to Gideon, even if he agreed with him that he had enough on his plate as Guildpact. It wasn't in his nature to let up control of anything, especially something he had a vested interest in. "I honestly kind of walked before I thought."

"Extra planeswalking? Ignoring Ravnica? That doesn't sound like you," Ral half-heartedly griped as he raised a hand in a silent request for a hand up. Gideon was good company to see to his gear with, but he would opt for not the gymnasium floor next time. His back was stiffer than a newly risen rot farmer.

As Gideon left him to help Ral to his feet, Jace pouted with a fair helping of pique and protested," I wasn't ignoring Ravnica. I was gone for, like… Four hours maybe." Jace had been asked to tea, and it would have been rude to decline. His voice was more than a little defensive as he continued," And anyways, reaching out to the Story Circle to relay messages to us just means I have to leave Ravnica less to collect information for the Gatewatch."

"The Story Circle? That sounds charming," Gideon commented.

"It is," Jace agreed with an amused grin. "Little more than bard level gossip from plane to plane, but Tamiyo has made some pretty powerful friends in her time."

Gideon saw Ral's trajectory as the man was finally on his feet and grabbed Jace's coffee just in time to keep him from spilling it as Ral wrapped his hands around Jace and held him close. He could see the small bead of focus in both their faces as they exchanged something mentally, and wondered what it was with a curious smile. He took a tax from Jace's coffee before handing it back as Ral let go of Jace.

"It's late, you should save the report for the morning," Gideon suggested, seeing how Jace reluctantly held himself up once more as Ral pulled away, his spine hanging like it was laid out to dry over a clothesline.

"I promised," Jace sleepily argued, but found himself walking along with his partners as they both took a shoulder and began leading him to Gideon's room. Jace's room was larger, but wasted most of its space on bookshelves and an elaborate desk. Gideon's room, on the other hand, had the largest bed in the sanctum.

"The Dimir will, unfortunately, still be there in the morning," Ral assured him.

With another yawn, Jace mumbled," I guess."

The first seal of resistance broken, it became a lot easier to convince Jace to walk with them, finding their way to Gideon's room and getting ready for sleep. His bed was the largest out of sheer necessity, being the tallest of the Gatewatch himself, and he hadn't wasted room space on personal displays or desks. Gideon's Akroan upbringing came through in his lack of decoration, the lightning rods Ral had installed on the posts of his bed last week being the biggest pop of color in the room.

Jace was the lightest sleeper, and the most likely to jar them awake as a result, be it when he physically jumped out of his skin or the trio woke with the echoes of a shared dream. Ral had been quick to suggest and Gideon easy to follow the advice, that Jace be sandwiched between them. It was comforting how quickly it had become second nature, Gideon pulling Jace close and reaching for Ral if Jace was too slow. Ral couldn't fight the smile pulling at his lips as he felt Jace's arm wrap around his stomach and his legs folding along with his, while Gideon's long wingspan allowed him to easily reach and play with Ral's hair.

As much as he enjoyed the strong hand pulling his hair gently, Ral felt Jace still fidgeting well past just getting comfortable, and reached up to Gideon's hand with his own encased in chilling magic. They didn't need words when discussing how to best take care of Jace, Ral sleepily thought, as he felt Gideon pull away from him to rub Jace's back lightly. 

In the kind of drifting thought patterns that blew out proportions and made thoughts too small or large to hold on to, Ral happily found sleep in the arms of his lovers.

~~  
~~

"What are you doing?"

Ral nearly jumped out of his skin from where he leaned against the counter, coffee maker stripped so he could see the inside wiring. With bags under his eyes, Ral glared up at the intruder and grumbled out," I need coffee before I battle the sun."

Liliana hid a laugh behind a hand at how pathetic and miserable he looked. Simpering, she asked," And you thought the fastest way to get some coffee was to take apart the coffee maker?"

"Didn't turn on when I flipped the switch. Must have a loose wire," he bit back, not enjoying her amusement at his suffering one bit. He continued to run his thumb over the wrapped wires, trying to find where the break could be.

"It's still plugged in," she pointed out, her voice a little higher pitched than usual.

With a scoff and wave of the hand, he dismissively said," I'll be fine." He whispered some colorful obscenities as he continued his work, then looked up warily as he realized she wasn't leaving. With narrowed eyes, he asked," What do you want?"

"Just admiring why all of Ravnica is always under construction. I can assume this is Izzet pride at its finest?"

"Screw you."

"Never in your wildest dreams," Liliana replied as a force of habit.

"Well, those would be rather wild dreams, because I like men," Ral muttered mostly to be contrary, then paused in his work and looked up to her with a brush or realization.

She had a witty remark behind her lips, but it died as she saw his sudden look of epiphany, and instead she seemed a little weirded out as she waited for an explanation.

"I-I like men, but Jace is bisexual," Ral stammered out as his words struggled to get into the same gear as his mind.

Liliana laughed and said," Oh, honey, I am _well_ aware what Jace is in to."

"Y-yes, right," Ral awkwardly backtracked, dropping the wiring and raising his hands for a second to think. "Sorry, yes, I know you know. It's um…"

"I'm guessing there's a point to this? I was planning on grabbing some coffee and going, but I'd settle for tea and quiet."

Muttering as he returned to finding the break in the wire and staring pointedly at the broken machine instead of Liliana, he answered," Yes, there is a point to this. I don't usually go blurting people's orientations for the sake of it."

Swallowing his embarrassment, Ral breathed in deeply and said," It's just… It was really important when you told me that."

"I never—"

"When you will have, or, um… Your future, my past. Timewalking. Anyways," Ral explained, wincing.

"Sure, of course," Liliana said with a raised eyebrow. If his wire-fiddling was anything to go by, coffee was a lost cause, and she put on a kettle of water before looking through the extensive collection of teas Jace kept stocked.

"In the future, we had a late night talk. Over coffee, actually," Ral continued.

"Too bad we can't have this one over coffee," Liliana muttered under her breath as she inspected a tin of tea that said _Numai, Takenuma_. "Jace, that doesn't describe what the tea will taste like at all," Liliana complained as she wrested off the cover to sniff it. Green tea, grown in the shade if the mellow scent was anything to go by… It would do.

"Yes, it must be very inconvenient you can't get free coffee before one of your little Gatewatch meetings," Ral said with a bit of a sneer. " I'm trying to say something important here."

Sparing him the most uninterested look, Liliana asked," Important for me? Or important for you?"

"Important for, well, I guess…"

She watched him flounder with a sadistic grin before alleviating his plight. "I'm sure there's more, right? Go ahead and say your piece and I'll decide what I want to do with that information."

"Brilliant. Yes, um, you also told me silver is better to use than gold," Ral said, then ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "There was more. I should have written it down."

"Evidently," Liliana said with an entertained laugh.

"Okay, okay," Ral said at the heckling," Um, you said gold would only get me a handful of trips because it would corrode. And… you warned me not to travel too far back in time because Ravnica used to be… warded somehow… against planeswalkers and that we could get trapped off-plane."

Looking up from filling a bag with, she asked," Anything else?"

Remembering her threat to zombify him if ever hurt Jace, Ral nervously licked his lips and shook his head. "N-no, we made coffee with a press, and that was it."

"Hmm, and why should I have this heart to heart that is so important for you?" The kettle began hissing. Liliana looked over to Ral who was clearly looking at the kettle uncomfortably.

Liliana hummed once more as she waited for a reply.

The kettle screamed.

"Because I love him!" Ral blurted, reaching out to the kettle barehanded to remove it so it would stop squealing. Seeing her briefly horrified look, Ral shrugged and poured the boiling water for her before setting it to the side. Flustered, he shook off his hand like he'd touched a safety belt that had been under direct sunlight for a short while, and added," A-and without your help, we'd never have what we do… With Gideon… In the right time-period… not dead… or whatever."

He would still be moping about how he fell for the straight boy if Liliana hadn't put it into such simple perspective for him.

Anger flashed behind her eyes and boiled beneath her tongue at the thought that _he_ was asking _her_ to help him get with Jace. "You," She bit out with more force than she meant, then cut herself off as he looked up from his wringing hands. 

She'd never seen Jace so happy as he had been recently, even when he was with her. Not being on the run from an interplanar mafia surely helped, but it was more than that. He'd found true companions; he felt safe and loved.

Resisting the urge to pout, she sighed and said," You should know better to ask for my help without offering something in return."

"R-right, sure, of course." Scratching the back of his neck, he awkwardly asked," What do you want?"

Her eyes dropped uneasily, then listed to the broken open coffee maker. Tutting her tongue a few times, she reluctantly looked back to Ral and said muttered," My range is broken at home. That's why I've been making coffee here. It's so expensive to have appliances repaired on this plane."

"I can fix it," Ral said with an eager nod. "To make sure we aren't eternally trapped in the past, I can fix a range. Does tomorrow work? Um, early afternoon?"

With a severe frown, Liliana said," I suppose that will do. Best of luck with the coffee."

"Thank you, Liliana. I mean it."

She rolled her eyes and took the mug of tea with her as she briskly left the room. She had a range to break.


	13. Chapter 13

Ral was beginning to spend more time at the sanctum, though he didn't go out of his way to say hello to anyone but his boyfriends or Lavinia. He actively avoided Liliana, not trusting her even after their talk and only then so that the future could go unimpeded. The reclusive elf avoided him, which he was fine by, and that meant the human woman that was clearly infatuated with her left him alone enough too.

Today he sat at the table in the library, figuring someone would find him if they wanted to. His head was too wrapped up in his current ball of thought to leave it be, and he'd only really ventured out here to get a change of scenery, hoping that might jog something.

"What are you working on?"

Ral started at the sudden words, then looked up at Gideon a little bashfully. "I don't know. It's nothing," he said, hands absently crinkling the letter they currently held.

Gideon sat at the table beside Ral, but set his food plenty far away from paperwork—newly aware of how nerve wracking Jace found it for others to eat near his work over the last few days. "Letters? They look old."

"Uh, yeah, the last one I got is sixteen years old or so, I guess." He looked at the letter in his hands ruefully. "I didn't read them for a few years though. I never replied."

That was curious. Gideon wondered of the sentimental weight they carried for him to have them all these years later when he hadn't even read them for the first few years he had them. Were they from someone he had an unresolved past with? A rival? A lab partner?

"When I finally did read them, I read them all in one go, and they read like the ravings of a man slowly losing his mind," Ral continued, regret once more bubbling to the surface. He'd been twenty-six, almost two years after Ixavner's death, when he finally read them, and all he could think at the time was, _I neglected him until he went mad and died alone_. "They talk about things that never happened near the end, and the writing style is so different."

Both of them felt Jace's presence in their minds just before a door opened and revealed the other coming in with lunch as well. Now that Ral had been broken out of his deeper thought, he noticed the world around him and the smell of butter and cloves in the air.

"Ral," Jace said with a smile. "An Orzhov cleric just brought lamb lapsha if you want any." He had long ago given up denying bribes from the Orzhov, and just insisted they weren't currying favor. The winks and smirks that Orzhov clergy gave him when saying that was more than alright left him with the impression that they didn't believe him.

He shook his head at the offer. "Just had breakfast," Ral explained.

"It's half past three," Gideon said with raised eyebrows.

Ral shrugged that detail off and said," but if they brought any coffee…"

Jace took the other seat beside Ral and said," No, they didn't. I could have some made though."

"Eh, don't bother. I'm mostly awake."

Jace's eyes passed over the crinkled, old letters Ral had splayed out, curious as to what they could be. He was a little disappointed at first when he realized they weren't schematics, though his interest rekindled when he saw " _Best Wishes, Ixavner_ " at the end of one letter.

Quickly averting his eyes as he realized this was personal, Jace asked a similar question to Gideon. "What are those?"

"Letters from Ixavner," Ral answered softly, knowing Jace would understand the significance.

Jace sighed with a little relief that Ral had openly stated it so he didn't feel like he was trespassing. "I'm sorry," he said, at a loss for what he should say.

Ral's eyes flickered to Gideon, who was missing context for what had been revealed, and explained," Uh, Ixavner was basically my dad after I ran away to join this Izzet. I left on… bad terms." He pouted as he spread the papers out so he could see the snippets from various letters. "He wrote me for almost five years before he passed." 

There were forty-seven letters in total. He had read every one at least twice, but the less they made sense, the more it hurt to read them. Ral hadn't actually opened the box he'd kept them in since before the Implicit Maze. "I don't really know why I dug them out honestly. Something just never sat right, and I've been thinking about him again since our walking."

"You were saying they didn't sound right near the end," Gideon said, fork held haltingly above his plate. Incongruency tended to stand out, and a lack of closure sure did as well.

This caught Jace's attention, and he asked," How so?"

Looking between both men, Ral felt a little trapped until he reminded himself they were curious, but wished him well. They wanted to help. "Referencing things that never happened while I lived with him, misspellings… Here. The last letter he ever sent…"

Ral cleared his throat before reading aloud from the old letter," And it starts _'Writing and sending so that you might as well muster the hopeful and rye courage again to answer.'_ He's not the type to use the wrong homonym, and it's so stilted. Who even talks like that? Look at this letter compared to the first or the second. You'd think they were different senders if his handwriting wasn't so impossible to duplicate."

The thin scrawl on the pages was certainly the same between various pieces of parchment, though magic could easily replicate that, Jace thought a little cynically. He had copied Ral's notes the first day in his lab, ink blot for ink blot.

"Could it be coded?" Gideon asked. "You two strike me as the sort to send a coded letter. Was Mr. Ixavner the sort too?"

Ral opened his mouth, found no words and shut it, then tried again fruitlessly. He was slightly ashamed the thought had never crossed his mind. He'd been too pained to dwell much on this massive personal failure. Finally, he sighed and rested in his chin on his tattooed hand. 

With a bit of a hesitant drawl, Ral admitted," I've never been good at coding and all that. Language is not my forte. Give me a mechanical puzzle, I'll solve that in a hot second, but I have to cheat to finish a crossword from the Guildpact Gazette."

With an air of epiphany, Jace stood up and grabbed some parchment and a pen from a nearby desk, then pushed his plate out of the way to begin working. He held out a hand for the letter Ral was currently holding, and the other reluctantly handed it over.

Curious and trusting Jace would protect an old document properly, Ral was still only just barely willing to hand over the letter. Uncertainly, he asked," What are you doing?"

Jace held the letter in one hand and his eyes began to glow faintly as they skimmed over the words and he transcribed the message letter for letter on a fresh piece of parchment.

"So that's how you stole my notes," Ral grumbled, watching Jace work.

The emotionless face crinkled with a little guilt. "Yeah, sorry about that." 

It took a while, even with magic's help, to copy over the full letter. When he was done though, Jace simply returned the original and looked at the copy like he'd never seen the words before. "Could you underline any passages that didn't happen, strange phrases compared to his everyday language, _anything_ that stands out?"

Ral pursed his lips and took the page with scrutinizing eyes. It was embarrassing that he hadn't thought to do this himself, but exciting to see what he may find.

"You circled the date?" Gideon asked as he leaned over to observe what they were doing.

"I was going to ask about that too," Jace said.

"Well, it's written in Boros notation," Ral said, squinting his eyes at the outlier. "I think there was one or two others that did too, but the rest is in standard Izzet fashion."

Jace looked at the circled date and asked," Which month is Rokiric again?"

"The second," Gideon answered, while Ral answered at the same time," Mostly during Myxirz, or Dhazo if you ask the Azorius."

"As much as I love Ravnica, I hate the dating conventions. It shouldn't be plural," Jace muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The Izzet calendar was developed first," Ral insisted.

"But it doesn't have the same number of months as the rest of the calendars," Jace protested. "And the original Guildpact's signing was concluded on the first of Seleszeni."

Ral shrugged. "Same number of days. Close enough. Who even cares about the Guildpact?"

Jace sighed as he rolled his eyes, refusing to look at Ral and give him the satisfaction, and wrote _"2/2/100064 ZC"_ above the Boros date. That the Boros had a separate calendar that they tracked personal guild business with, while relying on the Azorius and Guildless system for official reports, had always baffled Jace.

With a furrowed brow as he poured over the marked letter, he asked," You said there was another that used Boros dating at the top, right?"

"Uh… yeah…" Ral paged through the letters, finding it about halfway through the stack. "I would say it's when the letters really started to get weird too." That only lent itself to the theory these were coded, and butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

Jace didn't look over, too busy scribbling something in the margins. "What's the date?"

"Ninth of Orduunya, or Zuun if you love the Azorius calendar," Ral answered.

Eyes flying upwards as he did the math in his head, Jace asked," And wouldn't that be the second day of the second month for the Izzet?"

Gideon watched with a mix of awe and amusement as they solved this puzzle together. They would go through brief periods of absolute silence broken only by the shuffling of paper, then both erupt into talking over the other as they shared information in a harried and self-important fashion.

"I've got it," Jace whispered to himself, then repeated himself louder. "If you follow the second letter of every other word, going backwards from the end of the letter," he said with a trailing voice, holding the copy that was now hard to read in their rigorous problem solving. He marked a few to highlight what he meant.

"I, H, O, P, E, T, H…" Ral breathed out the letters, his eyes tracking backwards through the final words of the letter. He quickly acknowledged he'd need to write this down, and grabbed a fresh sheet of parchment to begin transcribing.

The other two resumed eating, giving him the space to figure out what his father-figure had written to him. After getting a little ways in, Ral paused and looked over what he'd written down. " _I hope this letter finds you well, and I hope you are rereading this now, understanding just how proud I am of the man you are today. I know you never return before my passing—_ "

Ral set his pen down and ran his hands over his face, then through his hair as he looked away misty-eyed.

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked, concern weighing down his face as he hoped to divine upon what could make Ral feel better.

Ral had to clear his throat. "Y-yeah. I think… I'm going to decode these letters at home." He began to gather everything up into one pile again. "Thank you," he stuttered out," for your help. Both of you."

Jace looked on sympathetically, wondering what it would be like to receive messages from a loved one, and what it would be like to find out there was a hidden, more personal message within. "Of course. And let us know if you need any—"

"See you guys later," Ral interjected, pushing himself up and quickly leaving the room before he lost his calm. It wasn't like both of them hadn't seen him at his worst, but he didn't want to test any enchantments protecting Jace's books.

Gideon looked to Jace and asked," Should we go after him? He's so upset…" The other knew Ral much better, and while some folks desired others to come and make them feel better, he knew plenty preferred to deal with pain alone and come out to others when they were ready to heal.

"We should definitely check in on him tonight, but I think he'd like the time alone to decode the letters right now," Jace said, looking in the direction Ral left forlornly. He doubted Ral would do something so reckless as timewalk alone right now, but he couldn't be certain. 

"I hope the decoded letters offer him peace," Gideon said softly. His voice was barely a whisper as he continued," We've all made mistakes we're not proud of. Hurt family in ways we never meant."

Jace looked back to Gideon, the last bit of what he had to say striking him unexpectedly. Gideon had a sudden look of realizing he said anything and quickly, boisterously said," This pasta is quite good, as is the side dish. The—caviar, you called it?—is particularly interesting. Is that a normal staple of Ravnican food?"

All three of them had things they weren't so keen to open up about, Jace thought troubledly. The lives of planeswalkers often weren't easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your regularly scheduled programming will return Mar 11th, but please enjoy this bonus chapter for my lateness with the last chapter. As always, comments are very welcome. They brighten my whole week and are so motivating, I can't even express how much they mean to me. Thank you to y'all who've left comments on my work, and extra big thank you to any who've left multiple comments! Cheers!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late because editing three chapters in one week will do that to you, but here it is! Thank you to everyone who left a comment on the most recent chapters. I'm going to start replying today! Y'all made tear up with joy.

Chandra had found out the hard way that Jace had a glass jaw, so when she saw a zombie break from the swarm and pass Nissa with a warhammer pretty much fused to his rigor mortis hands, she cried out," Cover him!"

Nissa looked over her shoulder to see who Chandra was pointing out, and furrowed her brow in concentration as she raised a gripping hand and pulled roots through the cobblestone between Jace and his attacker. She felt a brief wave of appreciation in the recesses of her head.

The zombie that had almost reached him was now snared in the tangled growth, making for a simple target with Chandra's fire.

Jace scanned the field and saw another zombie surging Nissa, whose focus was still on him. He shared what he could see with her, overwriting her vision with his third person point of view, and she easily unsheathed her sword and sent it gliding behind her at the waist with a twist. The zombie fell, bisected, a newly planted tree growing quickly from its midsection and feeding hungrily on its rotting flesh.

The Golgari had reported an accidental breach in a zombie farm in Zanikev and after the zombies had stumbled upon a Rakdos revelers, they had turned from gentle rot farmers to manic, bellicose monsters. The three Gatewatch members who currently fought them had been the members at the sanctum when it was reported, and emboldened by Chandra's declaration that they should protect the people of the district, they'd set off to save the day.

It would have taken the Boros too long to respond, and it would have been a waste of breath to try and convince the blood witches to calm the murderous rampage. Jace had a teleportal set up to reach that district in seconds, and Chandra had wagered the three of them could take a handful of zombies that had been raised for agricultural work.

" _A handful_ " had ended up being at least twenty, and " _raised for agricultural work_ " had meant renowned warriors that had raised in death due to their mammoth size that lent itself well to the demanding work of gadva farming. The Rakdos had been generous with the weapons they'd bestowed as well.

"Jace!" Nissa called out as her vision flutteringly returned to normal, seeing Jace had his back to another oncommer. He had used his extrasensory vision on relaying what was behind her when he was still in the thick of it.

Neither Nissa nor Chandra could react fast enough as a zombie swung a blunted short sword into the back of his head, but as he fell, the zombie that had struck him found itself immolated as well as speared through the chest by a spike of stone. There were too many citizens watching from the alleys and the road was too slight for either woman to use their strongest magic, so they'd just have to be even more strategic to protect their downed teammate.

It was harder to be much closer to Jace than they already were, but with synced coordination, Chandra and Nissa pulled themselves almost back to back with him between them, and raised their most defensive casting. 

The root system was weak in this section of the city, but enough zombies had fallen that the fungal growth from their bodies was enough to let Nissa wrap together a small elemental to guard Jace. With her Stem Sword in one hand, and its sheath wielded backhand, she lowered her stance and prepared herself for incoming zombies as best she could.

Chandra channeled three small motes of flame, careful not to construct anything too large for the small avenue, nor conjure too many and risk losing control when she was wielding them so close to Nissa and Jace.

"Two coming from the north," Chandra warned, but turned her attention westerly and served up a ball of flame to the zombie trying to escape into the crowd. She engulfed it in flames just before it could reach a handful of onlookers.

"Got them," Nissa replied, lunging one step forward to close off the zombie's approach and slice them down before they could reach Chandra while she was striking long distance.

They had finished off almost all of the zombies before Jace had gone down, and despite their concentrated efforts to protect him, it didn't take much longer to finally eradicate the problem. A few casualties had been rushed to a nearby glade for recovery, but they'd saved the civilians from death.

Nissa dropped to her knees beside Jace's crumpled form, and she felt the worried heat from Chandra bombard her face. "I've got him," she said, promising he would be okay in her taciturn way. She placed her fingers delicately to the back of his head, careful not to jostle him any. 

It was a little heartening that he was present enough yet to grimace and hiss at the touch, and even more relieving as he turned his chin to get his injury away from the investigative fingers. Calmly, she drew near and whispered," Jace, I need to touch your injury to heal it."

A feeling like a pick between her eyes threatened a migraine as Nissa attempted to heal him once more, but she reached out to the sensation and pulled on its source. She made her thoughts easy to decipher, gaining his attention and reminding him he could trust her, even in his wounded state. Acknowledgement flitted through his eyes as he batted them to look upwards at the two women, but that was all he seemed to have in him before sinking to unconsciousness.

"That looks rough," Chandra commented, gulping as she craned her head to get a better look. Her lower lids were taught and her lips thin as she winced at his groan of pain that accompanied a soft glow diffusing across his head.

"I need to focus on raising elementals in such a tight cityscape," Nissa said with a hint of embarrassment. She'd never raised elementals in such a confined space. Innistrad had many hamlets, but even Thraben had been a town small enough to casually raise a being several times her size with the local greenery, as rotted as it was.

Chandra watched on as Nissa worked her healing magic and sighed a little dispiritedly. "Yeah, it's been a while since I confined myself so much while channeling my fire too. I guess I need to practice myself." She had worked to find open areas to practice pyromancy; it hadn't occurred to her that she would need to push herself to work so side by side with her teammates and civilians.

"Well, we can worry about our training later," Nissa said, putting it out of mind while she focused on the next task at hand. "I've healed him my best, but a specialist should see to him. Help me get him back to his sanctum?"

Chandra nodded and helped steady the man as Nissa easily hefted him up to his feet. Together, they were able to walk him back to the teleportal nestled in a back alley that they'd emerged from, and back to his sanctum, where an argument was in a heated standstill.

"What do you mean you just let him out into the streets of murder-party in action," a harsh voice asked the poor Azorius guard that had alerted the three to the zombie procession wreaking havoc.

"Ral," Gideon tempered," They'll be fine. We dealt with many more undead on—when we… Nissa, Chandra!"

With Jace sandwiched between them and an arm over either of their shoulders, they staggered into the room. Chandra felt her hair curl up with an updraft of guilt as she saw the concern break across Gideon's face, but her eyes were quickly brought to the man she'd seen that day Jace had returned from timewalking.

"Jace, what the—You guys didn't even leave the central city, how did this—?"

Gideon grabbed the man's shoulder, raising his shield proactively, and he looked searchingly to his friends. "What happened? I thought it was only a handful."

"We had some trouble fighting the horde in such close quarters," Nissa stated. "We can worry about how to plan better for the future later though. He needs further healing and rest."

"Right, we'll lay him to bed and send for a healer," Gideon said, his leader's calm taking over as he looked to the Azorius guard expectantly. He would be too busy dealing with Ral to find a healer himself.

~~  
~~

"Who in the layers of Rix Maadi are you," were the words Ral was woken to. The familiar voice bore an unfamiliar accent, and the hands that had been wrapped around him comfortably now roughly grabbed Ral up into an armlock, jostling him for good measure. 

Ral's face was pushed down into the pillow as he felt Jace mount his back and pin him against the bed. He struggled to breathe and spit out," Niv-Mizzet's breath, Beleren. What the hells?" His voice was muffled and hard to parse and now his mouth tasted of cotton and blood from biting his tongue.

"I watched Jace die, you sick fuck," the man growled, his voice wavering from the unexpected pain being dredged up. Any qualms he may have had about killing the stranger beneath him vanished. "Name's Kallist, and you won't have enough time to wear it out after I'm done with you."

"Wait, Kallist," Ral mumbled muffledly to himself, then groaned out in pain as his head was lifted and smashed down. While the bedding was soft enough, the sheer speed left his nose tingling. 

That name was familiar. It had been on the tip of his tongue after waking up after Jace's worst nightmares, always accompanied with an inconsolable, dull weight in his chest and a sour taste on his tongue. Raising his voice and forcing out the clearest annunciation he could manage, he hazarded a guess," Kallist Rhoka?"

Kallist's blood went cold. No one outside of the Consortium should know his full name.

Taking the silence and lack of physical response—when his captor had been responding to his every word with pushing him down harder—Ral chanced explaining," You're in Jace's body right now."

Anyone who was close to Jace should at least momentarily believe the impossible might be true. The man had solved a city reaching puzzle before an interested dragon, melded ten peoples' minds together, and communed with a god. Ral hoped that Kallist shared similarly awe-inspiring demonstrations from Jace and would at least hear him out.

The hold on Ral that had his shoulder screaming with pain hesitantly relaxed and the hand that had been pushing his face down withdrew enough for Ral to lift his head and breathe deeply. Before he could say anything more, he was pushed to the floor and Kallist was standing up but backing away to put some distance between them in case this was a trick.

Ral held up his open hands, focusing on breathing and not wanting to draw any scared attack from the other. His mind was racing as he tried to process the last minute and what that meant for the future. He looked over to Jace, who had a similarly devastated and disbelieving expression on his face as he pulled off his sock and revealed a foot with only four toes.

"W-what the… No, I—It can't be. I watched him d— " Kallist's eyes darted from the injured foot to his— _Jace's_ —hands, then to the interloper that Jace had apparently been curled up with when he went to sleep. His eyes hardened as he asked," Where's my body?"

"I, uh, don't actually know what to tell you. He's never even told me about how—" Ral stopped talking, both out of a standing hatred of being the bearer of bad news, and the incredulousness of the situation. He was talking to a dead man… a dead man wearing Jace's face.

"About what?" Kallist took a step closer, fists clenching and threatening more violence. He wished that Jace slept with a knife on him, because he felt naked without any sort of blade.

"Um," Ral began, then cleared his throat. "Well, I think you died, and I'm pretty sure Jace thinks it's his fault. I mean, not that that's anything new. He thinks any random person he meets that has a problem is his fault."

"I'm dead…? He's alive…" Kallist felt the body he possessed with his hands, patting it down and trying to feel the difference. It felt right, if maybe a little softer around the edges.

Ral looked to the man with searching eyes, mind furiously trying to think up some way to get his boyfriend back. "Are you possessing him?"

Ral had heard of vengeance pacts and other Orzhov arrangements, as well as the Azorius soulsworn, but wouldn't that kick in sooner? Jace had at least been free of possession the last six months he'd really gotten to know him, as far as he knew.

"I—No, I don't think so. I don't feel dead," Kallist muttered. He didn't exactly know what being dead would feel like per se, but it couldn't feel like this. This felt… normal.

Though normal had been disrupted when he and Lili went to search for Jace… who ended up… Kallist gripped his stomach, feeling ill as thought back to the botched rescue mission and its tragic end for his best, if estranged, friend.

"You okay?" Ral asked, concern for Jace overriding his commonsense, pushing himself up from the ground and approaching Kallist with raised, heedful hands. Even with caution he must have moved too fast for Kallist's comfort, because the man slid forward, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into another arm lock, pressing against his back.

"Ow, ow, ow… C'mon! I was just checking if you were okay. You looked like you might puke." He keened as his forearm was raised further and his shoulder felt like it might snap. Pain disabling his filter, he wondered aloud," When did Jace even train to move that fast?"

He'd seen Jace in and out of combat; he'd never seen the man move so fluidly and confidently.

"I don't know, but until I figure out what's going on, I won't hesitate to incapacitate you if you move too close or fast," Kallist warned.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that impression," Ral impatiently acknowledged. Just wanting the pain to go away, he eagerly promised," Let go of me and I'll stand on the other side of the room."

The grapple hurt with the same brute force favoring pain that bullies in school had made him suffer daily. He'd always been small and easy to push around, and on bad days, some of his worst bullies would hold him in place for the others, jeering that they needed a dummy to practice on. Ral was always split on whether he resented their derisive insults or the physical pain more.

"I'm not a bully," Kallist snapped, pushing Ral away hard enough to send him falling to the ground in contrast to his words. "A smart man just doesn't let strangers pull wool over his eyes when he might be illused."

"I never called you a bully," Ral said with a grimace as he pushed himself up to his knees and held one wrist tenderly from the abrupt landing.

"Don't lie to me."

Ral's grit teeth slid from pain to hesitation as he reluctantly thought he may have to charge Jace's body with electricity. He was starting to wonder if more than one one problem would be solved if he loosed a bolt or two. Maybe Jace's head would stop being scrambled. 

"I wouldn't suggest it," Kallist whispered menacingly.

_Oh, he's reading my mind_ , Ral finally put together, feeling rather dumb it took him so long to figure out something so obvious. Kallist was in Jace's body, which had a tendency to delve into Ral's mind. It was probably muscle memory.

Eyes widening with something akin to fear, Kallist protested," But I'm not a mind mage." He backed away uneasily as he realized he responded to something that hadn't been voiced.

Holding his head, Kallist grimaced and asked," Why does my head hurt so bad? What's happening?"

"Jace received a head injury yesterday," Ral intimated solemnly," Which may be why you're here talking to me and not him." Panic made his stomach churn. How was he saying this so calmly? What if Kallist's presence meant Jace was… gone?

"We… We should have you talk to Emmara. Maybe Liliana," Ral said, feeling disconnected as he continued to speak. He didn't trust Liliana as far as he could throw her, but she was smart, experienced, and probably knew Jace and Kallist better than either of them knew themselves.

"Lili? She still hangs out with him?" Kallist's throat became tight, pained jealousy pinching at his heart.

"Well, she certainly makes her presence known at the very least," Ral said with a huff, his perpetual annoyance with the necromancer bringing him a little more present-minded. "They're on the same watch."

It occurred to Ral—after how much free information he shared openly—that Jace didn't use to keep the best company. He knew nothing about Kallist, and just because it was Jace's face, he wasn't necessarily trustworthy. The second this doubt echoed through his mind and on his face, and the thoughts that followed unbidden on how he might deal with Kallist should he prove hostile any further, Kallist jumped to action.

Swiftly jabbing Ral in the throat, taking his speech and his spellcasting, and cracking the man across the back of the head, Kallist incapacitated the stranger. He looked around at the unfamiliar room, recognizing Jace's personal taste, though it was a much more lavish quarters than anything either of them had ever been privileged to in the Consortium. 

Seeing a writing desk, Kallist inspected it and found a letter opener, bracing himself for whatever may come.

~~  
~~

Ral came bursting into the library, out of breath and followed by a trail of ozone. "The Guildpact just planeswalked!" He collapsed against a shelf of old tomes, his wheezing not helped by the dust that took to the air in response. 

"He planeswalked to—" A fit of coughs wracked him so violently, he tasted blood. "K-Kallist… planeswalked…"

Liliana sat upright in her chair with a stunned look of recognition as he repeated the familiar name again, choking over his words. She stood up and finished for him," Innistrad."

This drew everyone's stares, then they tentatively looked back to Ral for confirmation. He could only nod.

Nissa was sitting next to Chandra and quietly asked," Why would Jace planeswalk in his condition?" She didn't recognize the name Ral had dropped.

"Not Jace," Ral weakly corrected, thankful when Gideon came over and helped him to a chair. He'd been in such a rush, he hadn't thought to don his gear, and felt a little bad as he electrified Gideon as soon as their skin met. It was convenient that Gideon was nigh-invulnerable, he thought, as the other responded by holding him close when any sane mortal would have held him at arm's length.

Gideon held Ral and looked to Liliana, asking," Innistrad?"

"I know him, I know where he would go." Liliana knew Kallist would reach out to the plane that reminded him of her. He didn't have Jace to fall back on, he would turn to her. "I know how to bring him back."

She pushed her chair out and didn't spare the time to push it back in. As she heard Chandra breathe in, probably to ask where she was going, Lili calmly looked back and said," I have to drop by my apartment to get ready. I'll be back with Jace in a day or two."

Ral pushed himself back to standing, looking like he was ready to follow, and Liliana resumed her brisk walk out of the library and said," Don't interfere, Rain Mage. Or any of you. I know how to handle this, and it requires delicacy."

It was time to pay Jace's old friend, Emmara Tandris, a visit. Liliana hated being in anyone's debt, but she was sure with a little reasoning, she could negotiate a deal.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for dub-con/non-con. 
> 
> Everything in general is on rocky ground consent wise right now, since Kallist is piloting Jace's body, but this chapter is specifically marked for sexual dub/non-con.

Liliana stepped into Innistrad's marshy embrace as easily as she might open the door to her apartment on Ravnica. It was no surprise that she found herself in the courtyard of her mansion. She'd had many years of practice returning to her estate, and her current irritation was a razor sharp focus.

She had put many years into finding herself with a perfect team capable of taking down her demons, and the last two would be much easier with that team as she had built it. She needed Jace, a master mind mage, not Kallist, a fledgling mage with newfound power he couldn't control.

While she could think this pragmatically, the assessment sounded cruel, even to her. It was hard to hold a neutral expression as she walked out into the world, leaving her mansion behind and following the pull of the leylines, where any new planeswalker would undoubtedly feel pulled to most.

The diregraf wasn't too far from her home, and she didn't have to make it all the way there, only close enough to feel the weak undead and command them to be her eyes and ears. Her expanse of scouts in such a welcoming domain gave her a crystal clear look at the world around her, and cued her to start walking towards a particular edge of the coast. 

It wasn't long before she found a familiar form pressed up against a dying tree, a pale creature of the night running his hands through his quarry's hair and whispering with a sadistic but seductive tone. 

"A young Stormkirk, I believe?"

The vampire looked over his shoulder with an irked expression, and blithely called," Find your own toy. This one's mine."

Now that Liliana was closer, she could see the vampire was holding the human up, who didn't look capable of standing of his own accord. Little red marks were littered around his bare skin that his torn up sleep clothes revealed, and his eyes were unfocused and his head slack.

"Where's the fun in draining this human the cat dragged in. He's already so close to death, anything more than the little nips you've taken will kill him outright." She was closer to undead than any Innistradi vampire, and a practical neophyte like the one before her could be excused for not recognizing that she wasn't human.

The vampire looked back to the barely conscious human he was holding. "I was considering siring him. I haven't tried my hand at it yet, and when I first came upon him, he had some interesting barrage of magic that I could train over the century to come. I'm about old enough to come up with some pet project like that."

Liliana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She hated talking to vampires who were new to the game and overeager to emulate their betters. This sad excuse for a vampire could barely be a couple years into his second life, and was trying to speak like he had decades under his belt. Careful not to tip his hand by bruising his ego, Liliana slowly closed the distance with a dramatic saunter and said," You could sire such a human, but in my experience, it is far more fun to dangle that honor before someone's fingertips. 

"Find some youthful human that longs for the condition and anoint them, but leave them in their sad town to fall to desperate ravings as they can't quench that bloodlust—the need for your final allowance that would deliver them unto this life." She made her voice curl in its most tantalizing depths, buying time as she clearly got the young vampire thinking.

Such a suggestion clearly had the vampire's interest, and they thought over it with a lopsided grin for a moment before their confidence faltered and they said," That could be fun, though I'm not to travel towns until I perfect my glamour…"

"How do you think those old vampires perfected theirs? Start small, but you need to get out there and practice."

She had reached the tree that Kallist was pinned to and placed a delicate hand on its gnarled bark. Her eyes furtively danced over Jace's body, pitying the sloppy handiwork of the impatient vampire that had found him.

"I mean, that's true! Severn is always preaching—"

The bark of the tree melted like butter beneath Liliana's manicured nails as she drew the life out of small slices—sure to leave a thin stiletto of live wood between the rotting away detritus. Before the vampire could ask what she was doing, she pulled a hastily fashioned dagger away and slid her hand forward, twisting cruelly.

"Word of advice, the little help it is now," Liliana casually commented," Sometimes your elders warn you it's not safe to go out alone, and _they're right_."

The neophyte gurgled over any response he tried to utter, the live wood sapping his strength. She pushed him to the side callously, letting him fall to the ground and only robbing him of more of his last breaths.

Putting forward her most worried air, she replaced the vampire in holding Kallist up, and took his cheek in one hand, brushing her thumb under his eye to catch a stray tear. "It's okay, Kallist. I came for you. You're safe, you're safe…"

As out of it as he was, he still managed to hold the letter opener with a white knuckled hand, and at hearing more direct words again, he tried to stab his assailant.

"Oh, Kallist. You've ruined my dress," Liliana said with a giggle like it was a small inconvenience, even as the sharp point found her kidney. "You'll have to take double shifts to buy me a new one."

"Lili…?"

His accent confirmed that Kallist was still running the body, and a rise of nostalgia affected Liliana. "Yes, love?" It may have been fake and a setup to get what she truly wanted, but they had lived together, loved together, for almost half a year. He had proposed to her. Her stomach rose to her throat.

"Y-you came…" His knees gave out and she helped him lower to the wet ground, laying him in her lap and resting his head against her chest. "I landed here. Wh-where?"

"We're on Innistrad. It feels like me. You were drawn to familiar ground," she said in a quieting voice, and she ran her fingers through his hair like he enjoyed.

A sensation like a drunkard bumping into her assaulted her mind and she recognized it as the least tactful attempt at mind reading she'd ever slogged through. The contract Bolas brokered still protected her, and she easily fed the information she pleased.

"Innistrad seems like your kind of place," he agreed, still in the facade of her mind she was sharing. "Th-the trip h-here… It—it was…"

 _First planeswalks were seldom simple_ , she thought. She continued to soothe him for some time, an army of undead just out of sight to make sure they weren't interrupted. This time was crucial in laying her plans.

"The Blind Eternities are unlike any other challenge you've faced, but you'll get used to it," she assured him, holding him close and squeezing one bicep hearteningly.

"That's what you call it?" His eyes focused on her face above him, and a smile came to his bloodied face. "I… I couldn't remember."

She swept Jace's bangs out of his face, having to remind herself of her plan as she saw the innocent, boyish look light up those blue eyes like they hadn't since back in Avaric. "Kallist, it's really you, isn't it?"

His eyes hardened for a moment and he stuttered," Yes. I know… I know I'm in Jace's body, but…"

"It's been so long," she said softly, bringing a hand to his face and tracing Jace's tattoos like she'd had to resist when they lived together. She'd had to play the long game since hinting at the mixup could result in daylong or weeklong breaks that might rob her of having either as an ally to protect her from Tezzeret's rage. Now he was aware, and she momentarily considered how this could change things.

"It feels like yesterday for me," Kallist said, a little remorse heavy in his voice. "I wouldn't have left you like he did if I'd been around," he promised.

She quirked an eyebrow at this, wondering if he was at all aware of how Jace's life had unfurled after his mind and body had been reunited, or if he was speaking of the much more mundane separation that Kallist's body (with Jace's mind) had enacted when she'd chosen to live with Kallist (in Jace's body). _Life with Jace involved was never dull_ , she thought with a sigh, then masked her thoughts with a simple bending of the truth. 

"I know, dear," she said, resuming brushing through his hair comfortingly. "And I never left you. It may have been his body, but I stayed with you."

A humorless laughed wracked Kallist, and it made his ribs ache after his rough tumble through the Blind Eternities and encounter with a vampire. "You don't know how good it is to hear that, Lili."

He sat up with Lili's support, grimacing in pain. "I love you, Liliana, and I'll do anything to stay with you."

She smiled warmly though she felt nothing but sick to her stomach. "I know, Kallist. We're together now. It just took a few years, but I waited."

He ran an arm over his mouth to ensure there wasn't any fresh blood still smeared across it, then leaned forward and kissed Liliana. His chest still fluttered as she kissed back, not knownig how he'd lucked his way into Liliana's arms yet again.

"As soon as you're ready, I need you to follow me to Ravnica," Liliana said, wielding his need to impress her.

"What? Why?"

"We'll have eternity to traverse the multiverse together," she cooed," but there's so much I must teach you first. Trust me." She sealed her request that was more of a demand with a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Of course. Yeah, we'll have plenty of time to journey to this plane—and others!—after I get better at it. I'd rather no other teacher."

"Let's get my new protogé to my manor then, so you can heal up." Her kidney would patch itself up quickly enough if he could resist stabbing her again.

He leaned in for another kiss, which she guiltily reciprocated. Nissa's words, _you need to let Jace get over you_ , and her own unresolved feelings, along with the guilt she'd battered down over the years around Kallist's demise all plagued her. If she hadn't perfected hiding her emotions over a century ago, she would have cried.

~~  
~~

Kallist had needed little encouragement to let Liliana wash his wounds, moaning just between pain and pleasure as she would take a pitcher of warm water and pour it down his chest or arms to let water run over all of the bloody kisses the vampire had left. She'd sweetened the deal with a few light kisses of her own, following his clavicle or sternum, and rewarding him when he sat still through her ministrations.

"I'll be right back, love," she said, "I need to set a pot of water boiling for your refresh."

He had been amazed at the process it had been to get him a hot bath, unaccustomed to a world where the Izzet hadn't run wild with cityworks planning. He'd never complain about a demolition and construction project taking two years ever again.

As he sat alone, his mind began to drift, mostly to trying to sort out what he could exactly remember. He remembered his time in Avaric with Lili painfully well. What quickly came to mind was the security job and his proposal that was rejected, but so did the good times. The times she made him feel so special because she had turned down _Jace_ , the prodigal mind mage and planeswalker, to be with _him_ left him feeling like butter.

His breath caught in his throat and his hands gripped the cast iron sides of the tub with white knuckles as a wave of despair washed over him at seeing Jace die before him. His eyes saw nothing but white-hot blue light and his stomach churned. It _wasn't_ Jace's death—it was his own, and he was reliving it as a third person experience. Echoes of shouting and the pain of someone else being run through burned in his mind like a brand and he could remember willing his legs to take him as far away as they could, finding himself alone in an alley, heaving pathetically and crying as the realization his friend, Kallist Rhoka, was dead and it was his fault.

Sweating in the long tepid bath, Kallist ground the heels of his hand into his eyes and tried to burn the thought of the telepath from his mind. His memories were paths to exile, traps to snare this second chance at life from him. It was _Jace's_ fault that the three of them had to live like the Golgari's unwanted and he'd never apologized for tampering with his mind. This was just desserts.

"Kallist, is something wrong?"

He looked up to Lili, who had come in with a pot of boiling water held in mitted hands, and shook his head apprehensively. Thoughts that weren't his own, thoughts of what Jace knew regarding Liliana, pressed against the inside of his skull, and he thought he was going to be sick.

He had to keep his wits about him. He couldn't fade back to Jace this time. He could remember the tug at his consciousness as Jace's will had reasserted itself and his being was pulled too far apart to exist in any aware state.

"Thank you for bringing more hot water, Lili," he said, his voice thin and reedy from how out of breath he was.

"Of course," she said with a pleasant smile, and set to draining some old water and pouring in the new so that Kallist's bath could be as comfortable as possible. She began to rub rare oils and soaps into his hair, massaging the scalp, carefully angling the suds away from his eyes. "Don't you worry. I'll help you planeswalk next time."

She knew this wasn't what worried him, but she needed to direct his fears as she pleased, so she repeated this sentiment as a whisper against his skin as she began to leave a hickey on his neck.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quarantine has my days of the week off. I can'y believe after months of updating on wednesdays, my normal has been so disturbed that it passed me by without my notice... scary times out there. 
> 
> Stay safe, stay home when you can, please do your part to flatten the curve. I'm in a neighborhood teetering on entering shelter-in-place, and several nearby have, because people are treating other's lives frivolously. I'm terrified for our hospitals.
> 
> https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/13/815502262/flattening-a-pandemics-curve-why-staying-home-now-can-save-lives
> 
> And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

"She said—"

"I know what she said," Ral snapped, his pacing not easing in the slightest. Lightning crawled down his limbs and static filled the air so much that it hurt to walk through it even for Ral. The shape his throat was in had every word of his raspy, and made his breathing exercises impossible.

Gideon took a step closer but raised open hands and ceased his approach as Ral held up a flat hand. He watched on sadly, wishing there was some way he could help as Ral ran his hands through his hair and walked up to the wall, only to butt his head into it and slink to the floor with its support.

Wet coughs left the downed man, and Gideon only worried more. "You tracked them both, right? So if a couple days go by without any word, we can start there and follow the trail."

"How can you so patiently wait when he's—"

"With Jace's powers and some assassin running his body, you think we could find Jace as simply as snapping our fingers?" Gideon was solemn as he asked this. Getting the defeated silence he expected, he said," If we need to, we _will_ find Jace, but for now, I trust Liliana to bring him back to us. I have to."

This brought out a keening whine from Ral, who hugged his knees close to himself.

"Ral…"

"I hate feeling useless. I hate not knowing where he is, if he's okay. I hate your Krokt forsaken Gatewatch taking him away from me," Ral bit out, his voice growing into a proper growl by the end of his piece. Losing Jace to Kallist was far from the only time he was losing Jace, and he couldn't help but fall back to that as well as he began his litany of complaints. He glared to Gideon with tears in his eyes as he snarled," I hate now I need to worry about you too, and I'm helpless to make sure you're both safe when you leave me behind to go save someone else's plane."

Gideon was quiet for a moment, guiltily looking to his feet as he thought about how hard this all was for Ral who was practically planebound with his obligations to Ravnica. He stepped closer and crouched down, unflinching as his limbs began to tingle from the current Ral gave off. "I'm sorry, Ral. I promise I'll look after him for you."

The lights in the room sparked and went out from Ral's sob, a crash of glass belatedly heralding Ral's outburst. "Raise your damned shield the strongest it'll go," was all the warning Gideon got as Ral pulled him into a desperate hug.

Golden's magic flooded the now dark room with diffuse light, and Gideon sympathetically looked to Ral's trembling form and returned the embrace, rubbing Ral's back.

"It's going to be okay," he promised, breathing through the violent energy dispersing around his magical resistance.

"You better be fucking right."

~~  
~~

She was making out with Jace— _Kallist_ —and knew she needed to cut it short if she hoped to emerge victorious in her plans. Panting as he sucked on her breast, just like he used to back in Avaric, Liliana whispered," Why don't… we… get dinner first?"

Kallist returned to her lips and kissed those teasing words silent before pulling away and playfully asking," Why, is this getting too hot and heavy for you?"

"We're not lusting teens, Kallist," she said in her most shaming voice as she righted her dress's bodice back over her breasts. He looked properly sheepish as she casually added," If you're feeling so…" She kissed him on the lips deeply, and bit his bottom lip a little harder than was strictly pleasurable. "Vital… Why don't we try out some planeswalking and you take me out to Aged Spirits?"

That was the restaurant that Kallist had saved up and taken her out to for their three month anniversary. His stomach knotted at the idea of planeswalking, but he enthusiastically nodded, thinking of the sentimentality she'd chosen their date location with.

"Won't we need reservations?"

"Oh, I think you'll find you enjoy the power your voice now wields on Ravnica." 

This was a provocative enough thought to convince Kallist to try planeswalking. It was difficult for Liliana to remember words that would have been helpful to her two hundred years ago, but she helped Kallist the best she could in planeswalking to Ravnica. As if for the first time, she appreciated the radiating beacon of a plane Ravnica was. It hadn't always been, and not for the first time, she wondered if she should ask Jace about it—she looked sidelong to Kallist, who looked ill beside her. 

He was a new planeswalker, essentially. She could have some fun with twisting his naivete, but ultimately her years with Jace and his composed control that he was finally coming into would benefit her more. Her promise to the Gatewatch… She had sworn to protect the multiverse, and even if that was largely to help herself, she was finding herself wrapped up in the Gatewatch's antics. Jace was the best to have on board for the Gatewatch. Kallist had always been loyal to a fault, but Jace ensured the Gatewatch would help her. Four was better than one no matter how devoted he was.

"We need to get you dressed for dinner," Liliana said, her voice effusing pride at his successful planeswalk.

"I think I'd prefer to surprise you," Kallist said. He'd always been a bit better at fashion than Jace, even if it was just his lack of fealty to a stupid, blue cloak. "You say I have the pull of the Guilds?" Many an Orzhov shop ran through his mind that he had only previously dreamed of entering.

"Every single one, Living Guildpact," she promised, reminding him just how important he was now, so that whether he bought her interest as emotional or tactical, he was sold.

Kallist grinned and said," Excellent. I'll see you at seven, and you'll barely recognize me."

~~  
~~

Dinner was going excellently, as to be expected at such a grandiose restaurant with such fine wine and both people dressed their absolute best. They were waiting for their desert course, Kallist having finished his lobster, and Liliana a rare steak. Beautiful silk hung around them, lit by ambient enchantments that diffused light through the transparent purple and black curtains acting as partitions from the other diners.

Liliana giggled at Kallists joke, her head the slightest bit dizzy from the bottles of wine they'd split. Jace would have never allowed the abuse of his title like this. The two of them were on their third bottle in fewer hours. Even through the pleasant haze, her mind remained focused despite her eyes threatening to betray her conflicted feelings.

"It's been more than five minutes," Liliana teased as she leaned forwards. "Forgetting something?"

Her lips puckered, plump and ready for another overeager kiss.

Kallist leaned into the kiss eagerly then pulled back so their cheeks still barely touched. "It was always him first, wasn't it?"

Liliana didn't respond.

He remained close as he continued," I get it. I was just some thug the Consortium found and trained into a decent assassin. Jace was a mage, a smart one, with talents that made him able to live anywhere doing anything. And… well… he could live _anywhere_. He was a planeswalker like you. I'm doing my best, but it's clear I'm just not up to snuff."

"Kallist… That's not why—"

He pointed blindly at her silverware that had been set to the side as he continued whispering," And now, he's squirreled his way into being so irreplaceable the whole plane needs him. The whole multiverse—that I've barely tasted—needs him."

"Kallist," she murmured, her long lashes brushing her cheeks as she looked at his knowing gesture. "I hope you know I valued you too."

A rueful smile pulled at his lips as he felt the serrated blade meet his throat. "I figured that's why your knife went missing. It brought him back the first time, didn't it?"

"That wasn't how that was supposed to go," she lamented," But, yes."

"One last kiss for old time's sake?" 

She pecked him on the cheek as he requested, and his words turned to a rasping gurgle as the slit across his throat began to bleed profusely. His pointed finger began to curl back, but it still clearly marked the table set missing a steak knife.

She looked over to Emmara, who stepped out from behind a silken curtain. Life-giving energy emanated from her hands as she quickly closed in on Jace's body, covering his neck as it fountained blood.

"You couldn't have chosen a cleaner edge," Emmara complained as she tried to heal the roughly hewn edges of skin back together.

"It was what was available," Liliana said, a little choked up. She cleared her throat and added as impersonably as possible," Do you know how hard it is to hide a dagger wearing a dress?"

Emmara didn't answer as she focused her gaze on Jace and her healing on his throat. "You're bad news for him," she commented, one hand staunching the lessening blood flow from his neck, and the other hand running through his hair gingerly. "I tried to warn him when I first met you that you would bring him nothing but pain."

Liliana had negotiated a deal for Emmara's help, not her silence, and pouted but accepted her flac. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, thinking sullenly how she had set this whole venue up and warned all the appropriate parties to ensure the plane got its Living Guildpact back.

A shrieking gasp left the man, and despite their argument, both women held their breaths as they waited for what he might have to say.

"Emmara…?" He coughed up blood and looked up to the elf with exhausted eyes. His gaze drifted over and he incredulously asked," L-Lili—?" He roughly wheezed and rubbed his throat, feeling a newly raised scar.

Liliana held his gaze levely as she asked," Jace?"

"What are you two doing in the same room?"

Both women sighed with relief. If that was his big concern, it was definitely Jace.

"Wh-what…? What's going on here?"

"Jace, I don't know how to…" Liliana dragged her chair next to his and held his hand. "I don't know how to tell you this."

He instinctively squeezed her hand, then looked to Emmara with a pinched face. What couldn't they tell them? Why was he sporting a new flash-healed scar across his throat? What could be big enough to bring two women who despised each other to work together after the last time he and Liliana had asked Emmara's help? His stomach churned as he feared what information was difficult enough to hear that _Liliana_ was uncomfortable relaying it.

Looking back to Liliana, his voice wavered as he said," Tell me. I'll understand."

"No, Jace. You won't." Liliana grimaced and sucked air as tears prickled at her eyes. "You… A head injury…" She shook her head as she composed herself. Jace waited for her words faithfully. "When you were concussed, Kallist took control, and he didn't want to let go."

"Kallist…" Tears sprung to Jace's eyes as he echoed the name with a ghost of his voice. "He…" If he lived in any sense, and Jace took that away… his heart beat painfully and Jace shakily reached for the wine that sat just in front of him. His eyes hauntedly swept between Liliana and Emmara, waiting for more explanation.

"It wasn't stable, and we needed you back," Liliana said, glaring at Emmara who was decidedly quiet and letting her shoulder all of the burden of the painful exposition.

"Liliana explained that this was the only way to get you back," Emmara supplied when both stared at her, eyes drifting away with a brush of shame.

"K-Kallist…" Jace covered his mouth with both hands as his breath caught painfully.

Liliana couldn't take the tears after what she'd done for him, and brusquely pushed herself to standing before leaving the restaurant.

~~  
~~

Gideon was sitting on the floor, his head resting uncomfortably against a bookshelf, Ral held loosely in his arms. Ral hadn't been able to sleep the last couple of days in any meaningful way, and had finally passed out from exhaustion. Worry-fueled sleep left him twitching, or shaking, or frightfully grabbing Gideon's tunic with enough force, Gideon was surprised he hadn't ripped it yet. All he could do was squeeze Ral's hand and endure how his limbs were falling asleep from their pinched blood supply from Ral's heavy and awkward gear.

Earlier that day, Ral had received the readings of two lightning bugs that he'd easily claimed to be Liliana and Jace, and had insisted they go check how he was doing. Gideon had insisted they wait just a little longer, unwilling to mess with Liliana's plans and mess anything up.

The library had always been the natural convergence of the sanctum, but with the erratic currents that charged the air, few others dared tread in other than Ral and Gideon. It seemed the natural place Liliana would return with news, and Ral had brought them back once more, pacing endlessly as they waited for her to bring Jace back. His pacing had broken down over the hours, physical exhaustion splintering his resolve to stay awake, until finally he passed out. 

"Liliana?" Gideon's voice was barely a whisper, not wanting to wake Ral, as he saw her stride into the library. "Is he…?"

"Jace is back," Liliana answered dispassionately, eyes roaming the bookshelves as if that were a passable reason she might be here. "I left him with Emmara for healing."

"Healing?!" Gideon had been trying to remain the calm one around the sanctum, but hearing that Jace needed healing spiked any repose he might have been enacting for others' benefit. He accidentally jarred Ral enough to wake him—and receive an unhealthily amped jump—and grit his teeth at the shock he hadn't been expecting.

"Gideon, shit, wh-what's…?" Ral was rubbing sleep out of his eyes and still trying to figure out why he was being woken now. The first thought he had was that he was going to have to talk to Gideon. His back couldn't handle falling asleep in random places with his gear anymore; he wasn't a Krokt-damned teenager.

As the waking world sorted itself into order, he felt how tense the arm holding him close was, and upon inspection, found that Liliana was most likely the source of tension. "Did you get Jace back?"

Liliana rolled her eyes. She was much more than some messenger. As she watched Gideon help Ral to his feet and saw the concern on both their faces turn to her, she sighed and said once more," He's with Emmara. He needed healing."

While that had drawn shock from Gideon, it drew literal bolts of energy from Ral as he lunged forward with murder in his eyes. With an accusatory snarl, he asked," What did you do to him?" 

Gideon held him back easily enough from actually reaching her, but Liliana still wisely took a step back. Raising her nose at their simple-minded thought process, she calmly said," What I had to. I got him back. You're welcome."

Her voice was steel as she spat," Now if you'll excuse me, I only came by to inform the Gatewatch their precious mind mage was back. I'll be returning to my apartment if anyone needs me."

The library was dark, thanks to Ral, but Jace had always harbored a soft spot for the traditional aesthetic of old-fashioned candles in a sorcerer's library. Quickly sniping a few wicks with well aimed bursts of red mana, Ral snapped light into the sanctum once more beyond simple moonlight filtering in from the third story.

With light enough to make out fine print, Ral checked his chronometer, and groaned. "It's almost eleven at night," he mumbled, placing a supportive hand on his lower back and trying his best to stretch with his encumbering gear.

"Do you know the way to Emmara's household?"

Ral whimsically thought that he knew the way to her childhood home _and_ current residence, but simplified his answer as he said," Yeah, I'll go check on him."

"I'll join you—"

The doors opened, and Lavinia walked in, still in her full ceremonial platemail despite the late hour. "Ral, Gideon," she greeted. "Have you seen the Guildpact?"

They exchanged glances, realizing that no one had thought to inform the local government that the Living Guildpact was recovering from a head injury. Words light as air and searching, Ral said," Actually, no. Sorry, I was, um, just heading over to Guildmage Tandris's estate to do… business…"

"Ral," Lavinia interrupted flatly. "You never call any of the other delegates by their formal address. If you're going to lie, try to be good enough I'd consider a verity circle to see through it, please."

"Apologies," Gideon cut in before Ral could say whatever snappy response he was brewing. The truth was a better place to start with someone who also cared for Jace like they did. "After his last outing, he needed some healing. Ral was just leaving to check on him at Emmara's home."

"Reports say he racked up… quite the bill… at Aged Spirits," she said with a little disbelief coloring her words.

Ral sighed and said," He might have. He was out with Liliana."

Lavina pursed her lips at this and commented," I should remind him how poorly it looks to abuse his position of power in such a—"

"He knows," Gideon assured her. "It was a one time thing."

Lavinia could tell they knew something that she didn't, but figured she would have an easier time getting it out of either of them one on one versus talking to them together. Bowing her head to this flimsy excuse, she said," Well, I'm here on a Gatewatch issue, so I suppose I'll defer to you, Gideon."

Curious as to what Lavinia was doing managing any Gatewatch matters, Gideon cocked his head. He could feel harmless—for now—static from where Ral's arm brushed his, and clapped a hand on Ral's shoulder. "Go to him. I'll see to the Gatewatch's needs."

Ral's brow rose gratefully as he was released from social obligation and could go directly to Jace. "I'll see you later," he promised, squeezing the hand on his shoulder before breaking away and leaving the library.

For a breath of calm before delving from one worrying topic to another, Lavinia looked around at the candles and the glass they illuminated on the ground. "I see I'll have to put in an order for new voltaic chambers."

Gideon rubbed his face and sighed, the last few days having taken their toll. "It's been a long day—two—week," he stumbled over, before settling on," It's been a long week."

"Our meeting can be sitting down," Lavinia sympathetically offered, taking in just how weary the man was.

With a look of thanks, Gideon pulled a chair out for her and took a seat himself.

"An ambassador from Kaladesh has arrived and wishes to address the Gatewatch tomorrow morning," Lavinia informed Gideon.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for um, general tragedy? 
> 
> The narrative will make sense on its own going forward, but I recommend re-reading Kaladesh/Aether Revolt or their summaries for the next few chapters. It's very loosely alluded to in my story, but

Jace was sitting at the marble table, looking around at the empty seats around him and relishing the moment to collect himself. Gideon had informed him of the Gatewatch meeting and he'd arrived early, anxiously finding that nowhere was comfortable right now, but the familiarity of his massive library was most relaxing. He couldn't stop running his fingers over the raised line around his neck, though it was illused to seem unmarred.

He bitterly mused that he should have thought to grab a scarf like he'd covered the then-fake scar but bruised throat he'd sported at the Symposium. Nissa was the first one to join him, and she respectfully kept her eyes trained on the bookcases with such focus one could be excused for thinking she'd never seen them before.

Tentatively, Jace opened his mind and knocked at hers, a little relieved as she welcomed him in. She wanted to know if he was okay, and all he could truthfully relay with such an intimate connection lacking the confusion of constructed language was that he _would_ be okay, that he was physically so and his mind might just take a while to catch up.

Gideon was prompt, but only a few minutes earlier than the time he'd given, and Jace thought he might want to mention to Gideon that diplomatic affairs usually required a bit more early attendance than those of the battlefield. He made a genius general, but Jace didn't know his background with public affairs.

"Jace, Nissa," Gideon enthusiastically greeted," Your reaching out to Tamiyo has already borne fruit, Jace. Good job! Their network was an excellent choice to branch out to."

Jace smiled as enthusiastically as he could manage, which when Gideon was so focused on looking on the bright side, meant it appeared completely forthright. He toyed with a small sphere in the hand he held under the table, anxiously fidgeting as he waited for the meeting to just be over.

Liliana was soon to join, and Jace ignored her jabs about him raising illusions, heatedly thinking that maybe she could have chosen a less obvious way to kill him. He was here out of obligation, and he would look his best while representing the Gatewatch. It might have been the realization that his best friend was seemingly risen from the dead and killed before he could even say hello, but he wasn't much in the mood for any joking at his expense. He kind of hoped that whoever had come to appeal for the Gatewatch's help was summarily denied.

"Excellent, we're all here," Gideon noted as he saw Chandra staggering in. "We've been approached by Minister Dovin Baan of Kaladesh to see over an inventor's fair."

Kaladesh? Jace perked up with curiosity as he noticed Chandra become decidedly surly. He met eyes with her, well, tried to meet her gaze. She had pulled her goggles down. She wasn't nearly as discreet as Nissa, so he didn't reach out to begin a telepathic conversation, but he did keep his mental barriers down should she wish to reach out to him.

Baan was lead in by Lavinia and began a well thought out, though difficult to parse, request, and while Jace listened easily, he could see on Gideon's face that it was taking their decided leader a few seconds after each pause in Baan's monologue to process what had just been said.

" _Jace, are you listening…?_ "

His attention was pulled from Baan to Chandra, and he confirmed with a gentle thought. He waited for her to explain why she'd reached out, but her mind was a haphazard bonfire, lit up with a thousand thoughts.

" _What are your thoughts about returning to Kaladesh?_ " From talks they'd shared, he didn't have a particularly strong belief she would want to return, or at least not like this.

Her mind bristled, and she acrimoniously thought," _Like I even know. You're in my head. What are my thoughts?_ "

Jace recoiled, his mind feeling sunburned, and he felt a bit of guilt from Chandra. Between his fragile state of mind already, her uncontrolled emotions, and Baan's clunky grammar, Jace felt a little overwhelmed and let himself focus on the conversation that Liliana was now wrestling control of.

Whether or not they decided to help the Kaladeshi cause, Jace felt it was going to be a rather long day.

~~  
~~

The revelation that Chandra's parents were potentially criminals and Chandra had planeswalked with Liliana after such a disastrous meeting left none of the Gatewatch feeling particularly at ease. Nissa had volunteered to follow her, and after Lavinia's insistence, Jace agreed to stay behind and see to his Guildpact duties.

His Guildpact duties would be a little easier to see to if Ral wasn't being so clingy. 

"Ral, I need my hand," Jace complained.

"Use your other one," Ral mumbled, not looking up from what he was reading and not letting go of Jace's hand.

"Ral," Jace said with a roll of the eyes and huff as pulled his hand free to turn the page.

Said electromancer crackled with disappointment and glared at Jace from the chair he'd pulled over to Jace's desk. Snarkily, he snapped," I'm just trying to make sure you don't die again."

"I won't," Jace said apathetically, still not sparing a glance at his boyfriend out of exasperation. "I have four guards and two master clerics posted and watching over me."

"And a brand new scar detailing the curve of your neck," Ral muttered.

Jace inhaled through his nose and sighed slowly. Ral wasn't making this any easier on him. "Yes, I am painfully aware."

"You've been playing with that Azorius perceptisphere all day," Ral groused," Set it down and hold my hand, and you'll still be able to turn the page as you please."

Jace's hand stilled, still holding the perceptisphere, and a stuttering sigh left him as his shoulders drooped. Setting it down in the crease of the tome he was currently reading, Jace placed his elbows on his desk and cradled his head in his hands. 

Trying to maintain an air of calm, he joked," How do you know what a perceptisphere looks like?" They were typically used by arrestors to record testimony. He would have sold his composure a lot better if his voice wasn't so airy it broke twice in the single sentence.

Ral's brow rose as his stomach fell, and he didn't bother answering the half-hearted joke as he asked," Jace, what's on the sphere?" He watched as Jace's eyes brimmed with tears, and idly adjusted the dials for his dampener as his heart sank.

"When you brought me back this morning, I took the time to shower and change," Jace began shakily.

Ral was aware. He had thoughtfully gone and distracted himself during that time before insisting he be glued to Jace's hip after his stupid Gatewatch meeting.

Jace slouched to one arm so he could use his other hand to play with the perceptisphere once more, rolling it up and down in the sloping valley of the pages. His breathing was stiffly measured and he tried to bolster his voice as he continued," The lock on my window was broken, which is a little worrying since I take great efforts to conceal where my sanctum actually is.

"At first I thought this was due to the struggle, um, when Kallist must have hurt you." Pain crossed his face though he was doing his absolute best to keep his emotions in check. "After double checking with all of you though, he didn't need to break out of my room. He must have broken in, and—" No matter his best efforts, his voice broke again and he had to take half a minute to find the will to speak again.

"Kallist and I had a system for everything. We worked together for years—" Not as many as he would have liked, but for enough years to have detailed plans in the case of any standard situation on a mission. "—and we had little ways of leaving clues for each other. In case we got separated on a case or if we needed to covertly inform the other without alerting other people… Anyways, I found this…"

A humorless laugh left Jace, and at first, Ral wasn't sure if it was a laugh or a sob.

"He gutted my encyclopedia and left this sphere inside."

Ral's eyes focused on the small sphere, and he swallowed hard as he wondered how he was supposed to proceed. "Have you, um, watched what's on it?"

Jace didn't answer, continuing to push it around with an idle finger. A frown rested on his face, but if he spoke, he wouldn't be able to contain the cascade of pain that he was truly feeling.

He didn't know what to say to Jace's silence and wanted to reach out for Jace, but now felt that might be a tad irresponsible. Ral forced his breathing deep and slow, reining in the errant static that wanted to pour forth.

Desperate to find anything other than the perceptisphere to talk about, Jace cleared his throat and asked," So, you knew I'd—Kallist had—planeswalked. You still have Project Lightning Bug up and running?" 

"Yeah, though I had to hinder it somewhat to keep Niv-Mizzet in the dark, and I think that might have affected its readings. You know that gorgon chick?"

Jace was well aware of Vraska, and unenthusiastically nodded.

"My readings say that she planeswalked _from_ Ravnica, but it says she's disappeared. She left with no destination. She entered a void."

This drew a weird look from Jace, who had never heard of such a thing despite all his travelling.

"I know, it doesn't make sense," Ral said with a shrug, playing it off as cool as he could, but clearly upset. Project Lightning Bug had been a pet project, and he had to strangle its genius with his own hands. He still felt dirty when he thought back to his and Jace's interference. Izzet members didn't impede Izzet science; they weren't afraid—they _shouldn't_ be afraid of revealing the truth, no matter how strange and how much the rest of the world would have to adjust their way of thinking.

"Kallist knew he was entering a void," Jace said sullenly, abruptly picking up the orb and holding it close like his scrutiny could uncover some new facet of its construction. "He knew Liliana was setting him up, and that he'd die, well, cease to exist."

"Then why'd agree to dinner?" Emmara had said she met Liliana and Jace at a restaurant.

"He didn't care."

Their eyes met briefly, but Jace's quickly cast away. "He knew she wouldn't let him live. He rathered go out that way than hunted."

So Jace had watched it, Ral gathered, and it had made him feel even worse. It had been a suicide note from his best friend, who had known a mark was on his head by his ex-lover.

"I'm sorry, Jace."

"Me too," Jace whispered.

"I wish I could have gotten to know him," Ral offered, wincing at how prescribed his words felt.

Jace nodded along with the sentiment, though it clearly rang hollow for him.

Ral tried again, a little more spiritedly and honest. "He seemed pretty badass as he cut me down."

"Did he hurt you?"

It still hurt to swallow, but Ral shook his head, lip curling as he said," Not too bad. Struck me dumb though. Didn't know your body could move that fast."

Jace sank forward, resting his chin on folded arms as he commented," He was confident. Sharp as a tack, able to strike true because he knew how someone would block before they did." If someone walked in on their conversation right then and there, they would no longer see a haunted man, Jace now caught up in thoughts of how grand his partner had been in physical combat.

Hand around the sphere once more, Jace felt the warmth of the artifice he'd left with it. The unassuming sphere promised to do its job if he should spark just a little mana through it to fuel its machinitions. He sat up straight and looked closely at the non-descript orb, his breath stuttering once more as he ran over his mental recall of its captured image and sound.

"You should take the day off," Ral said, his heart breaking but his mind incapable of coming up with something that could help in such a strange circumstance. "You've had a rough couple of days."

Jace tried to smirk, but his heart wasn't in it, as he snidely asked," Are _you_ seriously telling me to take a day off from being Guildpact?"

The irony had dawned on him too, and Ral rolled his eyes. "How often are you going to get to live that up? What do you say?" He rose to his feet and held out a hand, but as he did, a burst of cold air swept through the room, heralding violet light and a familiar form.

"Liliana?"

Jace's question was instantly answered as he smoothed her dress from the curling drafts of interplanar travel. "Jace."

"What are you doing back? I thought you were on Kaladesh with Chandra," Ral said with narrowed eyes and a sour taste on his tongue. Hadn't she caused Jace enough pain this week?

"Tezzeret's back."

Ral's petty feelings sank away as his blood ran cold. He looked to Jace, whose mouth was open but could muster no words.

"He's alive and well on Kaladesh. Let's go."

His face was dark as he swallowed back the rise of terror that sat heavy in his throat. "I guess I will be taking that day off from being Guildpact," Jace mustered, his words quaking ever so slightly.

"You can't seriously… Jace…" Ral reached out as Jace pushed himself to his feet and walked to Liliana's side. "He's—"

"I'm well aware," Jace cut off whatever Ral was thinking. He breathed in and let his chest inflate with bravado as he muttered," I guess I better do a more thorough job this time."

The two walked off to Kaladesh before Ral could get another word in edgewise. His knees gave out, and he fell back to the chair behind him, sitting heavily and not paying any mind to how his gear pinched his skin and scratched against itself. Life had passed him by hastily in its strange waltz, and he was reeling at how suddenly alone he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It should be of note that I LOVED the original exposition delivery of _In This Very Arena_ , pub. Oct 12, 2016. I would say that I was already beginning to ship Ral and Jace, but it was with that story that I began to love the ship so much that I moved from thinking up simple one-shots ( _Lightning Bolt_ , pub. Oct 11), to planning multi-chapter rom-com tragedies like _Stitch in Time_ (Started writing Nov 2016; pub. Dec 3, 2016; finished Dec 13, 2019). What a wild stroll down memory lane, mapping out the lines of inspiration....
> 
> A special thank you to all essential workers out there during these scary times. To the retail workers, delivery personnel, nurses and many others who are maintaining functioning society, thank you from the bottom on my heart. Be this your respite from impossible hours, something to get through the grinding hours of staying at home in isolation or close quarter cabin fever, I hope it provides some much needed diversion in its melodrama.
> 
> Sorry to wax on, but cabin fever has been getting to me. Now that I have my webcam set up, I am also looking to play paper commander (coin flipping jank to cEDH tier 1.5), so hit me up in my DMs on Twitter if you're looking to play. @pok3d3x


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I have asked," Wait is it (fill-in the day)?" every single day for the last two weeks, but I made google remind me of this wednesday so I wasn't late with an update (again).
> 
> Wishing y'all health and happiness. If you would like to set up a webcam game of magic or a match on Arena, hmu on twitter @pok3d3x

It had been days since Jace and Gideon left for Kaladesh, and Ral threw himself into his guild work to distract himself from his worry. He had too many plates spinning to just leave Ravnica at the drop of a hat, and by the time he regretted not immediately following, the trail had run too cold for him to find his way to Kaladesh anyways.

Not for the first time, he bemoaned his lack of skill in planeswalking. If he were just a smidge more confident he wouldn't wind up smeared across the Blind Eternities, he had a working theory that he might be able to use Project Lightning Bug's reading to find the plane itself. Instead of actually doing anything about it though, he had merely spent last night holding the theoretical coordinates in his hand and producing enough static to light all of Nivix if it were properly channeled.

He held a report in one hand and hot coffee in the other as he made his way to Niv-Mizzet for his meeting with the Izzet elite. As much as he often begrudged his position as delegate, he had mixed feelings on how it assured his inclusion in important meetings. He would have been guaranteed if he were still head researcher, but even with his demotion, his deleage status kept him invited. No one, and it went double for an Izzet mage, liked meetings and being pulled away from their research, but it meant he was always up to date on the latest Izzet news.

More current news meant he was working on more relevant tech, and his ego was always ready to be the name behind an invention that promised to impress the League as a whole. 

An intern of some other Izzet researcher was bothering Ral as he neared the aviary, and he glared daggers at the newbie. Didn't the League teach its new recruits anything these days? Had he approached a team lead with half as many questions when he was the intern's age, he would have been sent off to deliver the new mizzium charge intended for the Gruul to play with, and it would have been a coin's toss whether it were activated or not.

"What do you want, kid?" Ral asked gruffly when he realized the intern wasn't going to shut up. He hadn't been listening thus far. Maybe if he answered whatever fool's question the fresh recruit was after, he could enjoy the rest of his morning in peace.

"Oh, nothing, I was just saying,' how cool it is that we're going to hear the new official guild project from the Firemind's mouth himself?' I had to read the report when the Dragon's Maze project was released…" Ral droned out the rest of what the apparently not-so-fresh recruit was saying. 

There hadn't been an official guild project _since_ Niv-Mizzet discovered the Implicit Maze, and Ral wondered what could be so important it would draw such dramatic focus in the dragon's eye. Niv-Mizzet typically had a minimum of five high-profile research projects he assigned out to team leads at any given time, and with the raw power his Firemind controlled, was perfectly capable of running all of them at higher efficiency than the individual team leads manned their specific tasks.

Niv-Mizzet only focused the entire guild's efforts on something world-breaking, something that would change the face of Ravnica forever. After the last high priority task almost wiped all life from the face of Ravnica and successfully reinstated a millennia old enchantment to bind world governance to a single body, Ral wondered what could possibly warrant their parun's intense interest this time.

The intern—no, he couldn't be an intern still if he were here a few years ago for the Implicit Maze—the too-eager mage was still too close for Ral's comfort as he came to a stop in Niv-Mizzet's aviary. Most sensible guildmages would give Ral Zarek a personal bubble at least three times their wingspan, but this box of rocks seemed unfortunately taken with the fact that Ral made the mistake of asking him a question, and Ral couldn't figure out who he was able to return this mage to.

Fed up and already having a top ten worst week with a few days left to go, Ral sighed and turned to younger mage and grumbled," Look, kid, I'm glad you're so excited and all, but why don't you return to your team lead and ramble _their_ ear off?"

"You are mistaken, Guildmage Zarek," Niv-Mizzet said in a voice that rumbled through all the aviary. His reptilian claws landed shortly after his words began to echo, and his heavy body settled into place there after. Dust buffeted Ral's face and left him dry-mouthed as he turned about to ask Niv-Mizzet just what he meant by that.

Coughing and trying to get words to work again, Ral was quiet enough for Niv-Mizzet to calmly continue in his booming, larger than life voice. "I have assigned young Dorhen to your team, along with seventeen others who show the same promise in their field."

Anger rose like bile as Ral heard this, not liking being unable to handpick his team one bit. The anger in his voice quickly became tepid as he roared out, but faltered to a mere squeak almost instantly. "Did you say—you assigned… eighteen…?"

Ral Zarek had never been in charge of a team of more than five. Larger numbers than ten were practically unheard of outside of the testing division of the League. Even during the maze, Ral had only had three on his team at any given time, no matter how quickly that roster changed due to certain… guild disagreements.

"Please redeem yourself after your appalling lack of verifiable data with Project Lightning Bug, Head Researcher Zarek," Niv-Mizzet said, curling his tail around his crossed paws like a cat contentedly perching in a patch of sunlight. "Perhaps this time you can manage to actually _show_ something for your work."

 _Head Researcher Zarek_ , Ral thought with pride puffing up his chest. Being demoted to simply guildmage had been a blow to his ego and his research budget. If Niv-Mizzet was promoting him and assigning such a massive team…

"You will, of course, be provided any means necessary to accomplish this research," Niv-Mizzet said with serendipitous timing, just as Ral was coming to realize what this all meant. "My head research hall will be yours for the duration of your study, and any power you need will be provided, unrationed, from Nivix itself."

Usually trying to figure out how he could get in a well placed snipe against a coworker during these kinds of meetings, Ral was at a loss for words as all this prestige was being dropped into his lap. "Your Firemind, I am quite honored," Ral said, bowing before the dragon more earnestly than he felt he ever may have before. "But is this all due to that failed experiment? Project Lightning Bug proved—"

"To be quite promising, if you can manage not to lose control of your own project this time, Zarek."

A sinking dread left Ral a breath away from shivering. If this team and this assignment was built on the premise of that old project he and Jace had sabotaged…

"I have reason to believe that following this line of research to its logical conclusion will prove to reveal a previously unrecognized form of magic that will revolutionize my League."

Ral grew sick to his stomach and worried he wouldn't be able to rein in the wave of nausea he was biting back. Niv Mizzet lowered his head so he could focus one large, golden eye on Ral, wordlessly implying, _I know_.

~~  
~~

"Guildmage Zarek, what are you doing here?"

Ral was aimlessly wandering Jace's sanctum, and he sparked as someone called out to him. "Head researcher, actually," he corrected, though his words lacked the pride or passion they should have been laden with.

"Head Researcher Zarek," Lavinia said with a dip of her head, clearly making note to herself to update certain forms for the next Guildmeet.

…If the next Guildmeet would be coming together. 

"Have you, um, have you seen Jace around?"

Ral had a skittish energy to him, trying to stand in place now that he'd been stopped, but teetering from leaning heavy on one foot to the other. He was conflicted even on the subconscious level, haltingly abandoning his wringing hands to adjust the dials on his belt. He needed to increase his dampener's efforts, and could afford to turn down his capacitor to almost nothing so he could stop fueling his gauntlet to—

"Ral," Lavina hesitantly called a little louder as if she was repeating herself, hand on her own belt to ready a dampening sphere should she need it on short demand.

"What?" Ral ran a hand through his hair, his fingers drawing static strong enough to make visible twists of crackling light despite the brightly lit surroundings.

Brow setting with further concern, Lavinia repeated herself," No, Jace hasn't returned from his business trip." She sternly shook her head once as Ral opened his mouth, properly silencing him before he outed planeswalkers in this open space.

"Right," he coughed, catching her drift. "He, ah, I need to—I have an important update regarding the Izzet League for the Living Guildpact," he finally settled on. "If we could go somewhere private to record my complaint…"

"Of course, Head Researcher Zarek," Lavinia said, still holding a hand over her scroll, but approaching her fellow delegate without batting an eyelash. "Follow me."

Lavinia led Ral through the halls of Jace's Sanctum, bringing him to Jace's personal office. She would never enter the Guildpact's office without his express permission—only letting herself since she wasn't technically breaching the letter of the law—if it wasn't for the fate of Ravnica.

Once the heavy oak doors were shut behind Ral, the enchantment that prevented any scrying and enhanced hearing once more unbroken, Lavinia looked to Ral with a meaningful quirked eyebrow.

"So, head researcher? I thought Niv-Mizzet was reluctant to take back demotions."

Ral bitterly laughed and said," Yeah, and even so, I should be happy for this little miracle, but you know what? I have two boyfriends now and haven't been able to tell either, let alone have seen them going on a week, and there is something going on behind the scenes in the League. I don't trust it."

"Jace hasn't been back to Ravnica _at all_?" Lavinia's face was stone as she hid her disappointment. She didn't agree with him dodging his guildpact duties in any fashion, but she had assumed that he was merely avoiding seeing her to evade paperwork. This confirmed he hadn't even checked in on Ravnica since he left for Kaladesh.

"No, I've been keeping track," Ral said with an angry pout. "And neither has Vraska, which I have been paying close attention to. I _thought_ telling him about her planeswalking might be of some interest since she actually frequents this plane, but he, uh, had other things to see to."

"Vraska is a planeswalker?" That was a somewhat comforting revelation for Lavinia. While she was off-plane, she couldn't petrify the important mages of the guilds.

"Sheesh, I'm just going to out every single walker to you, aren't I? Yes, creepy crawly is a planeswalker, and I have no clue where she went when she left last time."

Ral sat on Jace's desk, the high backed chairs in his office really needing to be replaced next time he saw Jace. This drew a thin lipped glare of disapproval from Lavinia, but she didn't say anything.

"Speaking of, my promotion? Based on a project I almost unveiled the dirty secrets of all planeswalkers with."

Lavinia had a stiff upper lip to rival sphinxes but that was not a reveal she had been expecting in the slightest. She stepped closer, raising her hands towards Ral as if to contain the secret through physical force if need be. She caught herself as he sharply leaned away, and instead brushed one hand through her hair in a rare, on-the-clock emotive display. "But Jace—No one can know that the Guildpact leaves our plane of existence."

"Yeah, I know. Especially with his penchant for following trouble from one plane to the next," Ral said through gritted teeth. "And, I wish that were the worst part. Of course it get's fucking worse. I've been digging around for what spurred Niv-Mizzet to suddenly rekindle his interest in Project Lightning Bug. There's a new planeswalker hitting the Tenth—has come and go at least three times—who left from _Nivix_ yesterday. Really don't trust that."

So that was what had Ral shedding static like a hound shedding fur and willing to speak of private guild matters. 

"I don't recognize their trail, must be a newcomer, but they… they're hiding their destination somehow." It was different than when he'd failed to track Vraska; her departure from Ravnica was recorded with simply no point of destination. This planeswalker was causing their readings to scramble with their departure. It had taken a very close look at the readings to notice they were coming and going at all.

Lavinia couldn't begin to guess how this tracking project worked, nor could she speak to anything about planeswalking other than she was beginning to hate it more with every passing day.

"What's your plan?"

The Izzet were notorious for plans ending in failure and unplanned explosions, but if she could help provide structure for any planning, perhaps she could guide it towards an ordered goal.

Ral breathed in deeply, a look of focus taking over as he closed his eyes and forced himself to exhale slowly. He couldn't afford—Ravnica couldn't afford—to go into anything halfcocked. The fate of his world depended on him.

He needed to discuss this all with Jace. He would know what to do. He knew more about the many planeswalkers that entered Ravnica, and he would most likely be able to look over Ral's notes and point out something Ral was missing about planeswalking. Jace had been the one he'd turned to when he needed to sink his career along with the credibility of Project Lightning Bug in the first place.

"I feel dirty even asking this," Ral said, turning up his nose at what he was about to suggest," but how big of a violation does my team have to commit to get our members suspended?"

"I can't advise you to break the law, Ral," Lavinia protested.

"I need to stall. I need Jace to investigate this. There is something off, and I don't know what it is."

Lavinia crossed her arms, shoulders tense at what he was asking her to do.

"I just need my team detained, our equipment moved around a bit, for a week or two. He's gotta check in by then, right? Requisition sounds more Azorius-y. Requisite our stuff so we can't work. It can't look like my fault; I need this time to do some more snooping."

"Ral, you're asking me to participate in collusion," she whispered, shame coloring her cheeks for even finding herself in this situation without immediately detaining the offending party.

"And I'm hampering Izzet research… _Again_." Ral's throat felt itchy and he scratched to no avail. "But don't the Azorius care about peace and order on all of Ravnica, or something?"

"Squandering your main tennents when it's convenient for momentary peace isn't the Azorius way."

"I'm prepared to be ousted from the Izzet if it means saving my plane," Ral muttered snappily, eyes trailing over the desk of the Living Guildpact and bitterly thinking that he wouldn't have to rely on such drastic means to learn what he needed to know if Jace had just stayed behind and did his job.

Lavinia cast her gaze away and took a bracing breath as she said," I _can't_ advise you read over article three, subsection fifteen, or set up a team member's workstation to be in noncompliance." Her fingers graced over a pile of papers on Jace's desks as she remembered that Ral most likely wouldn't have a copy, and this would require delicancy. He would be accused of being complicit or worse if he were to be obtaining that article just before setting up a fall for his team.

She walked around the large desk and pushed the heavy chair out of the way so she could reach a bottom drawer that contained nondescript stationary Jace often used for informal letters. Ral watched her over his shoulder with one raised eyebrow, nibbling over a frown, as she began to quickly transcribe the law she spoke of.

Leaning over the paper as she waited for the ink to dry, she asked under her breath," Your goal is to _save Ravnica_?"

A little insulted, Ral held out a hand to either side in a gesture of, _what else would it be?_ , as he sparked a little irritatedly.

She held up an open hand, then snapped it into a fist and arcanely ceased his errant sparks for a few seconds. "I trust you, Ral. Please don't let this be a Dragon's Maze grab for power. Ravnica wouldn't have survived if we didn't work together."

Ral sighed and looked to the ground between them bitterly. Ravnica wouldn't have survived if Jace Beleren hadn't stumbled his way into knitting their minds together, despite all of his best efforts to kill him those days prior.

She held out a neatly folded paper with rushed instructions on how to set his guild's work back, and Ral's stomach twisted as he found himself truly grateful. He could feel Lavinia had a second or two of holding his electricity at bay and clasped her hand as he took the note, looking her in the eyes meaningfully before letting go and stepping back.

"I know," he said plainly," Thank you, Lavinia. I'm going to figure this out. I'll keep Ravnica safe."


	19. Chapter 19

Ral walked through the tenth with a small gift in hand, trying not to think about the fact that it had been two weeks since he last saw his boyfriends. It was hard to avoid though, as he passed the tea shop he'd first had a proper conversation with Gideon. Jace had spent so much time in his lab, that even his private experiments reminded Ral of what was missing. Seeing a Boros wojek or haazda roaming the streets or patrolling through the air made him think of Gideon and left him wondering if Gideon was making good on his promise to protect Jace.

 _Wasted energy, thinking about them when he wasn't willing to go search after them_ , he would think to himself with a tick of irritation. It didn't keep him from hopefully reading every planeswalk into Ravnica and becoming disappointed when it was some nobody. With two weeks behind him, and what was brewing in the Izzet League, he needed to focus on taking care of himself.

It turned out that setting aside time for hanging out with friends was a legitimate way of dealing with anxiety over a partner's deployment and general stress, and not just some Selesnyan feel-good sentiment. Lavinia and he had become close in Jace's extended absence, and despite her efforts of seeming an unflappable lawmage, her worry was beginning to show through. It did her as much good to hang out with him as it did him, and the two had begun to make an effort to have lunch together every other day.

He was currently on his way to Emmara's place, gift in hand. She had no clue that Jace was missing, and it was too difficult to mention without being pressed for _where_ Jace was, so Ral had avoided telling her. He had a weak lie prepared should she ask, but he was sticking with lying by omission for as long as he could manage.

Her home in Ravnica's present was very similar to her parent's home in Ravnica's past, and as much as he was coming to like her, he still had to say that her taste in homes was _bizarre_. Ral knocked on her door and looked around at the neighbor's houses. Not for the first time, Ral thought to himself that her taste was weird, but so was every ranking mage in all of Selesnya.

Emmara answered the door, her face flickering to recognition as she saw him. With a smile and stepping back to let him in, she said," Oh, Ral. I wasn't expecting you today."

"Well, I just found out today's your birthday, so I figured I should at least stop by and bring you a gift," Ral said with a broad smile of his own, a little smug that he'd managed to get the delegate's birthday out of Lavinia while they had lunch today despite her insistence on "following the law" and "protecting people's private information", and other such nonsense.

"And how did you learn that?" She led him into the sitting area and pointed towards a chair an elemental was pulling out for him.

Taking the seat, he asked," It's not a secret is it?" Ral placed the gift on the table and slid it towards the seat she would be claiming, then rested his chin on one hand. He would have to see about asking her to get a stool. She was too much of a bleeding heart not to accommodate him. Today was about her birthday, though; he'd ask later.

"No, but after you've celebrated as many as I have, you generally stop making a big deal about it. I don't think I've celebrated my birthday in at least two decades." She took the seat across from him.

"Right, you're turning one hundred nine or ten this year," he said with a nod, remembering she'd been thirty-seven when he and Jace had visited her after escaping jail. 

"One hundred and nine," she confirmed with a dip of her head.

"Well, if your birthday is supposed to be boring, I guess I can just take this back," he teased, placing a hand on the shoddily wrapped box. 

"No, it's good to change things up from time to time." Lips curled into a playful smirk, Emmara grabbed the box back and pulled it close like he might actually change his mind. As she looked at it up close, she quirked an eyebrow as she asked," Did you wrap it with blueprints?"

"What? No, it's just a schematic—" Right, _layman_. She probably didn't know any better that blueprint was actually a chemically transferred print of technical drawings. "Ah, yeah. It's what I had laying around. Sorry if it's kind of shit wrapping paper."

"I find it charming," she said with a shake of her head and gentle laugh. "May I?"

"What else are presents for?" Ral gestured towards the present with an open hand of _go ahead_.

Emmara carefully unwrapped the box and flattened the draft paper neatly to the side before inspecting the actual gift.

"It's just the outdated prints for a thermoregulator," Ral said with a wave of his hand. "Not worth your time saving."

"I'm in no rush," Emmara countered.

Ral shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"This is beautiful," Emmara whispered as she picked up the small, wooden box and inspected the carving on the lid. A carefully burnt in pattern of leaves trailed around the edges of the lid, while the center was engraved with a few birds. She traced the design idly as she looked up and asked," Did you make this?" 

Ral looked away and shrugged, almost bashfully. "I needed something to put the tea in."

Emmara stifled a laugh at Ral's expense, and slid open the box. A smell unlike any tea she'd ever come across hit her nose and pinched some leaves and held them up to examine them further. "I've never seen this tea before. Where is it from?"

"Dunno," Ral answered honestly," I took it from Jace, so probably somewhere far away."

Emmara's eyes hardened for a moment before closing and letting the wrinkles of concern fade from her face. Returning her interest to the leaves between her forefinger and thumb, she hummed thoughtfully. "Jace has always had a way of procuring exotic luxuries."

Ral cocked his head with interest, doubting that Jace had ever hinted at his planeswalker status before the maze, and by Jace's own admission he knew the man had avoided telling her anything since.

"Oh?" He couldn't hide the interest he bore in whatever Emmara was alluding. He knew Jace had graduated from blackmailing to "something worse". He had said he'd been willing to do worse than simple blackmail when he was a kid, and he'd implied he'd gotten caught up in things and let them get out of control when he was still on the other side of the law. 

Ral even knew some of the big players in Jace's history: Liliana; Tezzeret; and Bolas… Kallist, the man who died for knowing Jace, a death for which Jace could never forgive himself. Emmara, on the other hand, knew quite a bit of Jace's past and might be able to shed some light on the little he'd scraped together.

"I knew him when he was but a child, and he chose… dangerous ways of building himself up from nothing. He used to repay my kindness with exotic fruits much too expensive to casually purchase, but which he supplied me in great amounts when they were in season."

Trying to make her voice light, she shook her head and offered," Why don't I make us some tea?" She held up the box of tea she'd just received.

"You should keep that for yourself," Ral said, holding up a hand in passing. "I'm not much of a tea guy. It would be a waste on me."

"Ral," Emmara said with an air of chastising," I'm friends with Jace. I have coffee."

Ral sat up straighter, no longer supporting his chin with one hand and slapping the table in his enthusiasm. "That's completely different. I'm sold."

Smirking at the sudden liveliness, Emmara had an elemental put the kettle on.

Once she had her tea and he his coffee, companionable silence settled in. Ral had come here in part to celebrate Emmara's birthday, but if he were being honest with himself, it largely to get his mind off of the Gatewatch's current work off-plane. His mind couldn't abandon Emmara's comment on Jace's past though, and his eyes skittered to Emmara curiously as he sipped his coffee.

There was something about sharing hot drinks that made approaching difficult conversations a little more feasible.

"You've known Jace a long time," Ral began.

"About half his life, I'd guess."

Ral took this with an interested nod. She'd known him since possibly his first days on Ravnica, when he'd come to this plane with next to no memories. "And you've helped him through some difficult times. You, um, you healed his scars—the ones on his back."

Emmara set her mug of tea down with a hard expression. She made eye contact briefly before averting her gaze and nodding. "I'd like to say he was reckless in his youth, but that would imply he isn't now." 

She'd never gotten an explanation when she'd become aware of his burn scars a year ago or so. Liliana hadn't shared much with her when bargaining for her help in her attempted murder and resurection of Jace. Emmara knew she was in the dark, but that Jace had never ceased being just as precarious with his own life as when she first knew him.

Ral sipped his coffee so he could neither confirm nor deny her statement. His wrinkled brow was all the confirmation she needed though.

"Honestly, I'm glad he's become the Living Guildpact. He's busier, but at least I know I'll see him at Guildmeets so I'll know he's doing okay. He used to go missing for huge bouts of time doing the Holy Chord knows what."

Brow furrowed, Ral thought darkly that the relief she found in his title and its obligations was soon going to be tested. Jace hadn't checked back at all, and there was a Guildmeet scheduled in a week and a half, which he was getting more and more cynical that Jace would blow off entirely. 

Ral knew some of what Jace had been through, but he felt what he knew was a drop in the bucket of what he didn't. He wanted to protect Jace, but he had such a past shrouded in mystery with so many active players that still had a score to settle, Ral would accept any additional information he could get his hands on. "Sorry if it's too deep a topic for your birthday, but did you mean by ' _dangerous ways_ ' of building himself up?"

Emmara bit her lip and kept her eyes trained on her tea. "I don't know if you're familiar with an old mercantile organization called the Infinite Consortium?"

"Uh, no, never heard of it," Ral said, feeling like he may have overheard its name before but having no information to attach to it. From the frigid tone she bore as she uttered it, he got a good idea that she didn't approve and it came off as ominous.

"Probably for the best. It's now defunct," Emmara said, tapping her mug with a finger anxiously. "But, he was a part of it for a short while. Not so short for him given how young he is, I suppose."

For the sake of more information, Ral asked," And what's so dangerous about a group of merchants?"

"I had to heal Jace after his dealing with its high ranking members a few times," Emmara answered softly. "When he first thought of joining, he asked me if he should, and I told him he'd make enemies."

"That's where he got his scars," she concluded, Ral not needing to ask if they were connected. "From a man named Tezzeret."

Ral felt a well of nausea rise within him at the name. He'd had a nightmare of the man just a few nights ago as his mind decided he didn't need to sleep and decided to worry him further about the ridiculous adventures Liliana had pulled Jace into on Kaladesh.

"Sorry," Ral forced out. "I worry for him. There's so much I don't know yet."

"You're right to worry," she said sadly, shaking her head. It was just over two weeks ago that Liliana had barged into her home and demanded her assistance to save Jace. "I've knit him back together too many times. Please let me know if there's any way I can help."

"Thank you, I will." He let their conversation drift to lighter topics including that she loved the tea, and knowingly flustering him that she intended to make the engraved box a highlighted display in her kitchen.

His thoughts drifted occasionally to the Infinite Consortium. 

Now he had a name; he could investigate the more-than-blackmailing operation Jace had tangled himself in.


	20. Chapter 20

They had a few quiet days in Ghirapur, accepting the hospitality of Yahenni while they regrouped and tried to figure out what their plan against Tezzeret was. Quiet wasn't helpful for Jace, who desperately wished to be lost in something if it meant he could escape even a minute of rumination. 

He didn't bring it out around others, or even when in Yahenni's common room alone, but he still fidgeted with the perceptisphere while he pensively thought of the Infinite Consortium and its members. Tezzeret was on Kaladesh, and that thought alone made his skin crawl. Liliana was in the room over, casually rifling through clothes like that was the biggest concern of her day despite certainly being on the artificer's list to kill. 

Subconsciously, he squeezed the orb as his thoughts inevitably drifted to Kallist. He really needed to stop torturing himself, but he couldn't stop himself from playing it once more. Clicking the recessed button that played back anything stored, he set the perceptisphere on the desk in front of him and propped his chin in both hands as he watched it yet again.

" _Jace, you insufferable bastard_ ," Kallist began, Jace's image projecting just above the orb like a hand mirror had been held up for him. It was his own face, but it was Kallist's smile that tugged at the lips. " _It looks like I won't have the time to learn how to use your powers, or I'd just… implant a farewell in your head or something._ "

" _For what it's worth, I wish things had turned out differently. I regret few things in life, but losing you as a friend was one of them. My memories near Favriel are cloudy at best, but I guess we never got the touching reunion I'd hoped for, huh?_ "

Paired with the cocky smirk on the projection's face, misty eyes shined dolefully. " _And we won't this time either. Liliana's going to bring you back. I don't know how, but I know she is, and I'm going to walk right into my death and probably thank her for it._ "

Jace watched the slope of Kallist's shoulders go rigid. He tensed as he anticipated the next words, mouthing along and trying to get his lips to match the other's accent. " _Don't forget me, Jace. Whatever becomes of me, I won't forget you._ "

The projection carded through his hair anxiously and sighed. " _Do me a favor—you owe me that much… Forgive me, a-and… Forgive Lili. I love her, Jace. I was going to marry her, if she would've had me._ " Another long-suffering sigh, and Kallist averted his gaze from the recorder. " _Ship's sailed though, huh? It was always you._ "

Jace watched the silence that dragged on as Kallist battled with himself to find meaningful last words. The seconds dragged painfully as he would open his mouth to say something but shake his head, cover his eyes, or look up to some higher power with a bitter sigh. Twenty-three seconds, Jace had counted, passed before Kallist sharply inhaled and said with a breaking voice," _Guess I've run out of things to say. Goodbye, Jace._ "

He'd played the farewell so many many times, his face was stone as he apathetically grabbed the artifact and returned it to his pocket.

"Shit," a familiar, strong-willed voice murmured from the doorway.

Heart leaping to his throat, Jace looked around like someone had announced they had a crossbow trained on him. His brow crinkled as he saw the pained sympathy lining Chandra's expression as she awkwardly said," Sorry, I was just coming to see if you wanted to share a drink. This waiting around is killing me. I d-didn't mean…"

"Right, no, it's—um, it's fine. I…" Jace realized he was aimlessly speaking and clamped his mouth shut, tears growing warm as they lined his eyes and threatened to fall.

"Can I come in?"

Jace swallowed thickly and nodded. He thought to stand, not seem as small and helpless, but he feared his knees would give out. 

Chandra didn't need further encouragement, and she came to his side quickly, wrapping him in a hug. Jace leaned into the support, burying his face against her hip as she pulled him close.

"That was Kallist, wasn't it?"

He nodded his head into the fabric of her vibrantly patterned clothing.

"I'm… I'm glad you're back. We were all worried." She sighed at the wracking breath he took and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. She'd spoken only briefly about it to Liliana while they first walked the streets of Ghirapur, but the necromancer had little to say about the situation other than she handled it quickly. "B-but, I'm sorry you didn't get to have a conversation with him."

"Thanks, Chandra," he said muffledly.

"Of course."

"I could use a drink," Jace said, still slumped in her arms.

Chandra frowned at the utterly defeated tone in his voice. Rubbing his back, she offered," You don't need to share anything if you don't feel like it. I'm a little overwhelmed with being back to Kaladesh myself."

_She called it_ , he thought to himself. He hadn't been able to sleep well enough since being back in his own head. Even his illusions which came second nature were frustrating to keep a handle on right now, and they were a lot less dangerous than meddling in the minds of friends if he messed up.

"That sound good?" She waited for his half hearted nod and smiled a little crookedly. "Great, first let's get you a shower."

Jace pulled away with a properly embarrassed grimace. "S-sorry. I can raise an illusion."

And he did smell better instantly, but Chandra shook her head. "Nope, we've talked about this. You have to be real with me. Best friend's clause or something."

He didn't look persuaded, but as he looked her dead in the eyes, he became convinced he'd lose the argument. With a sigh, he pouted and nodded. Baan's words that he had been bullied as a child replayed in his mind and he pinched the bridge of his nose with another deep inhale and sharp exhale.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Chandra offered apologetically.

"No, I know. I'm just…" A supportive hand rested on his shoulder as he leaned onto the desk and away from her. He looked over his shoulder and met her gaze with a tired expression. "I'm tired of how prescribed my life is, I suppose, and how when it's not, it's downright tragic."

Not a fan of the idea of mixing alcohol with how he was speaking, Chandra shook her head and said," Alright. Forget drinking. That's what we usually do. Let me show you something amazing you can't find anywhere else. The Izzet only barely scratch the surface!"

Quirking an eyebrow at such a bold statement he'd love to hear Ral's rejoinder to, Jace hesitantly smiled and said," Okay, and what is this thing that is going to bring shame to all the Izzet?"

"Secret," Chandra said very seriously, tipping her chin down and looking at him with all the intensity she'd shown talking back to Ugin on Zendikar. "That I will only reveal once you are squeaky clean and rocking a sherwani."

Puzzled but amused, Jace decided to go with it, feeling a certain lightness in his chest as she took charge to make him feel better. She had said "best friend" with an air of joking, but she truly did a lot for him, and he didn't know where he'd be without her stalwart friendship to bring him through even his greatest strokes of idiocy or desolation. She was the one to push through and find him when he'd charmed the entire sanctum not to go looking for him, and she was to one to stick beside him even after he'd gruesomely carved out his own memory in the most painful way towards her possible.

~~  
~~

It was the afternoon before Yahenni's Pentultimate. Mixed feelings were heavy in the air. They had won, but it was only a skirmish in a battle, not even a worthy battle in a war. Tezzeret wasn't defeated, his plans only disrupted.

Liliana saw Gideon looking over his shoulder into the mirror, shirt pulled over his head and to his chest so he could get a good look at his back. Deep purple dashes marked his skin in a staccato pattern, marring the already bruised area with deeper contusions and indicating where he had come between two gears.

Simpering, she asked," Trying out a new fashion there?"

"Oh, Liliana, sorry," he quickly said, raising his hands and letting the tunic fall back over his broad frame. A complementary bruise across his chest showed just where his body pinched between the gears, and even with her comfort around inflicting pain and death, Liliana couldn't help but wince.

"There has to be more effective ways to break an automaton," she commented, stepping closer and pointing—dangerously close to poking—the deep bruise on his chest.

"My sural was already tied up, and I needed to get between a civilian and—"

Liliana laughed and rolled her eyes. How typical of their resident knight in shining armor. He cut off his explanation with a sour expression.

"Well, anyways, I'm indestructible as always. Few pretty deep bruises, but nothing that won't heal up on its own in a couple of days."

"You should watch those kind of casual declarations," Liliana said with a dubious arch of an eyebrow. She pushed past him to place her makeup bag on the counter and began rummaging through it to find her eye liner. She needed to touch up her makeup since Yahenni had instructed them to go all out in their dressing up, and she _never_ attended a party underdressed.

She usually had a witty one-liner with more bite, Gideon thought and he looked over to her with a grim smile. The concentration in her eyes was about on par with when she had raised an army on Innistrad and he became momentarily distracted watching her refresh her makeup with such delicate precision. Seeing the fall in her expression as she placed the eye liner back in her bag and began searching out another mysterious potion or powder, he asked," Is everything alright?"

Liliana gave him a sidelong glance, pursing her lips and finding she was holding the tube of lipstick tightly enough her hand shook ever so slightly. With a heaving sigh and rolling her shoulders back to relaxed, she took two tubes of lipstick out and showed them to Gideon, pouting slightly and saying," I can't decide between bordeaux or garnet."

She couldn't get the conversation between her and Tezzeret out of her mind. His words were teasing her psyche and pinching at her confidence, and as much as she tried she couldn't rid herself of the thought that much of what he blustered had been _true_.

Gideon's eyes slid from one tube of lipstick to the other, and he stammered," If those are supposed to be different colors, I may be colorblind."

"Ugh, you're useless," she said with a huff, tossing the garnet colored lipstick back and uncapping the shade she'd always planned on using anyways. This whole trip to Kaladesh had been useless, a colossal waste of her time, and she wasn't even sure it had furthered her goals. Did she have the Gatewatch wrapped around her finger or did they have her wrapped up in their ridiculous pursuit of being heroic?

This petty interplanar vigilante work hadn't been what Liliana had thought she was signing up for, and this victory had rang hollow for most of them. Of course it was easy to miss with how exuberant Chandra was in her reunion with her mother, but what had they really accomplished that a few more years of gritted teeth from the rebels wouldn't have sorted itself out?

Forget the Gatewatch, why had _she_ , wasted her time here? Tezzeret was dangerous, but no more so than an inconvenient lich or vampire that let power get to their head.

_Has your love for Beleren made you think you're some kind of hero?_

Liliana capped her lipstick harshly and threw it back into her bag like it had personally wronged her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Gideon was still standing there, looking at her with some sort of pity, and she snapped," What do you want?"

"Are you sure it was just the lipstick? You can talk to me. I know we don't know each other very well, and I don't know much about Tezzeret, but…" 

All he knew was that Tezzeret was the name on his lips when he'd woken up beside Jace and Ral, unable to remember his dreams but seeing the clear discomfort on their faces. Sometimes, he thought it a blessing that he couldn't remember his dreams very well, feeling certain that if he could he'd be plagued by nightmares of his hubris. 

Though, he wondered if he would have been more useful in their time on Kaladesh if he'd remembered what Jace often bled into their sleeping minds. He'd been too wary to cause Jace more turmoil as he dealt with the loss of Kalist to bring up the trauma of his past and ask about Tezzeret.

Gideon was much more perceptive than anyone else gave him credit for, Liliana marveled, and she paused in looking for the rouge she was after. He was a good asset, perhaps her best asset with how flighty Jace could be. Playing up her hesitance, she shyly looked over to Gideon and asked," How has Jace been? There hasn't been much time for rest."

"He's…" Gideon sighed and frowned. She'd never just ask _him_ that, show Jace she cared. "He'll be okay. He's in a lot of pain though."

Liliana nodded thoughtfully. She had so many angles she could go with this open ended shift in conversation. Did she pursue his curiosity about Tezzeret? His desire to see her in a more vulnerable light? Touch on what had Jace so down and offer him some sense of understanding that he could better empathize?

Gideon beat her to the punch in deciding and said," You knew Kalist quite well. Tezzeret too."

"Yes," she confirmed. She didn't know if she should reveal the three of them worked together or if that would distance her from Gideon in breaching someone's privacy.

He hummed in acknowledgement, crossing his arms and tapping a finger against his bicep as he appeared deep in thought. His eyes were hazel, almost green, as they fixed directly on her again. With a shallow smile and dubious eyes, he said," You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm sure Jace could use someone to reminisce with, commiserate with," Gideon continued, sincerity wrapping his words and doubling as he continued," And you could always talk to me. I know you don't need a shoulder to cry on, and I may not understand, but I am a good listener."

"I'm good, thanks," Liliana scoffed.

She noted how the corners of his eyes crinkled and he shook his head to himself like he should have known better. "Right," he said, scratching the back of his head. He dryly laughed at himself and said," I'll leave you to your makeup. The others are gathering to discuss our plans before the party."

"I caught the memo," Liliana sighed like it was an inconvenience to her.

"See you shortly, Liliana."


	21. Chapter 21

Accost was perhaps too strong a word, but Ral had been a little less than welcoming to newcoming planeswalkers the last week. If a lightning bug pinged his personal data collector, he was to the district they landed in within two minutes. This was the third one he was able to respond to.

"Alright," Ral called out through the Transguild Promenade. "Eternities, Blind. Who does that mean something to?"

Time for subtlety had passed, and with every passing day, he'd been closer and closer to losing it. He hadn't been able to find anything out about who might be influencing Niv-Mizzet. The Guildmeet was in three days, and Lavinia had confirmed there'd been no word from their wayward Guildpact.

Many strange looks were cast his way, but one head in particular caught his attention for trying to look as disinterested in his bold words as possible. With a large drawing of burning mana, Ral didn't sprint so much as vault himself towards the man who was trying to slip away unnoticed.

"What are you—?"

Ral's fingers curled into the thick robes of the man he assailed and as a familiar pull tugged at his chest, he angrily curled his magical claws in too. A purple smoke surrounded them and lightning crackled through it as Ral held on tight while the man planeswalked away, letting himself be pulled wherever the man so chose.

"How—" The man's eyes had been wide with surprise, but as they walked out of existence, the green eyes hardened with a knowing edge. The other was a planeswalker. Slipping into the biting wastes of the Blind Eternities, Dack tried to slip out of the other amorphous form's pull, but he quickly realized he wasn't going to win that fight and instead focused on finding a plane to host them.

Materializing in the rolling plains of Ketaphos, Dack Fayden hoped to sever his attacker from his source of mana, recognizing the red and blues of an Izzet mage. He had enough magical items on him to make up for restricting his own mana bonds. As they began free falling to the ground, Dack slightly regretted not picking a place with more shrubbery.

In the mad dash through the Eternities, Ral let the stranger pick the plane and focus on the point of entry—kept busy enough himself just working on not fraying across the unplanned trip. With notice, he could have easily buffeted their fall, but he was slow to grasp his barings after finishing a planeswalk. His gear offered only a more unpleasant landing as he hit the ground from nearly a meter fall with a rough grinding of metal.

"Oh!" The additional weight of a man and what had to be half his weight in mizzium took the breath out of Dack, and he roughly pushed him away. Straining to speak, he gritted out," What's wrong with you?!"

The other didn't respond in the several seconds it took him to sit up, and Dack nervously prodded him with one foot.

The guildmage grabbed the foot and growled out," 'M not dead." He shakily pushed himself to his knees and looked over the man he'd followed through the multiverse. "Why did you let us fall like dead weight?"

"Why did you attack me? Follow me?" He didn't have any ill-will with the Izzet League—as far as he knew. The anger in his voice faded as he saw the trembling frame of the other man. "…Are you okay?"

"J-just a hard fall," Ral muttered, embarrassment coloring his cheeks. He was thankful for his walks with Jace that had helped him work out how to follow another planeswalking better. That could in no way be called a difficult planeswalk, but he felt like he'd ran from Nivix to New Prahv and back a minimum of ten times.

"Well, if you think you can avoid attacking me for five minutes, why don't we take a breather?"

Ral forced himself back into a relaxed sitting position. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "Yeah, um, sorry about that. I didn't want you to get away."

"Dack, Dack Fayden," he cordially introduced himself, holding a hand out to the mage he gauged was less likely to kill him now.

"Ral," the electromancer echoed unenthusiastically, not raising a hand of his own. "Ral Zarek."

Dack awkwardly withdrew his hand and straightened out his jacket when Ral left him hanging. "If you don't mind my asking… Why exactly have you chased me down?"

"You're a planeswalker," Ral explained, holding a hand out to the new world they'd found themselves on. "And I needed the help of a planeswalker."

"Going forward, I might recommend a less aggressive approach," Dack suggested with a smirk. "Without yelling through the Transguild Promenade perhaps. Reaching out as friends." _Some people's business and self-enterprise was negatively impacted by such attention grabbing in a busy street such as that_ , Dack thought a little bitterly.

"I don't really have any planeswalker friends. N-not on plane, anyways."

Dack raised an eyebrow. There was a story there, probably one that explained the necessity of securing the help of a fellow planeswalker.

"Have you ever been to a plane called Kaladesh?"

Dack had been to many planes once or twice that didn't pan out for his thieving business, but he didn't think Kaladesh was one of them. "I'm afraid not, but I might be able to reach out to my network, see if anyone else has."

"I don't have that kind of time," Ral insisted. "I need to find Kaladesh _now_. The Liv—" Ral briefly had a moment of clarity even in his exhaustion to not mention the Living Guildpact was off-plane. "My boyfriends have been missing for weeks. That's the last plane I know they went to."

Dack's face pinched in sympathy, and he lightly said," I'm sorry, I don't know the way there."

Ral punched the ground, then buried his face in his hands.

Dack began to stretch his shoulder that he'd jarred in their rough landing as he thought over the problem that had been dropped in his lap. "I might be able to help another way. Do you have any artifacts that belonged to them, or that they were using when they've gone to Kaladesh before?"

"What good is that?" Ral's brain was already thinking over anything that might qualify, even as he played difficult.

"I can grab a significant amount of information from tools of historical interest," Dack answered. "I'm able to track people and the planes they've visited through the items they've wielded in days past."

Ral scoffed and said," That's a really cryptic way to describe what, psychometry?"

"Yes," Dack said, glaring at the other for shredding the mystery that often scored him a job. "I'm gifted in psychometry."

"But, they've never come back from Kaladesh before. This is their first journey there," Ral said, his hope dying easily. Thinking about his bad luck, having a psychometerist and nothing to locate with, he perked up as he suddenly thought aloud," Liliana has though!"

"Take me to Liliana then, and I should be able to find you the way there."

"I mean, if I knew where she was, I would just go ask her," Ral bit out. "She disappeared to Kaladesh with Jace."

"Do you know where she lives? Maybe she brought something back with her."

"She only briefly stopped in his sanctum," Ral said under his breath as he tried to think back to if she'd even touched anything when she came and retrieved Jace. "I think Chandra had been there before. She might have something, and her room is at the sanctum too."

"Well then, why don't we start with this sanctum," Dack decided, standing and offering a hand up to Ral.

Eyeing the arcanely crimson-hued hand, Ral spat," Yeah, I don't think I need you knowing more about me. Thanks." It was a slow and painful effort, but he pushed himself to standing.

"I'm not going to steal your identity or something with a passing touch," Dack joked with a little frustration. This Ral guy was impossible to work with.

Ral glared at him, thinking sourly that Dack was too pretty to take his identity, but just might be smart enough to do something with it.

"Should we return to Ravnica then?"

Ral coughed and aked," R-right away?"

"You're the one that said there was a time-crunch," Dack replied with a shrug.

Scratching his head, Ral looked around and asked," Where are we?"

With a bittersweet smile, Dack looked to the familiar sky and answered," Theros. I did some work here, though it was far from profitable." Defeating a kraken had been _awesome_ , being cursed to only experience nightmares with the promise of death had been decidedly _less than awesome_.

Swallowing hard as he had yet to come up with an excuse, Ral frowned and admitted," I'm not very good at planeswalking."

Dack looked over with a curious glance. He could relate, though he didn't volunteer his own inadequacies. "How long would you need to prepare?"

"An…an hour at least," Ral quickly supplied, knowing that was a generous underestimation, but embarrassed and motivated to check in on Jace and Gideon.

"Well, I don't track people for free, you know," Dack said matter of factly, giving the man a once over and seeing the fatigue in how he held himself. "Why don't we sit awhile and negotiate a price?" 

~~  
~~

Ral was shaking, having planeswalked twice in as many hours, but he tried to confidently lead Dack around Jace's Sanctum.

"You didn't mention this place would be squirming with Azorius," Dack muttered self-consciously, leaning close, but careful not to accidentally brush Ral's gear which he'd been promised would be met with a minimum of ten-thousand volts.

"What, got a problem with the law?" Ral snidely asked, as if he hadn't been on the wrong side of the law himself.

"What do you think my talents lend themselves to?" Dack grumbled back.

"They're on guard duty. Stay with me and they should leave you be," Ral reassured him with a wave of the hand.

Just who had he been accosted by to be allowed such free access to what Dack had quickly realized was the home of the Living Guildpact? Jace wasn't a common Ravnican name, and the "Jace" Ral was worried about had a home guarded by Azorius mages; he had to be worried about Jace Beleren, the Living Guildpact.

Ral watched Dack pace through the library, touching various pieces of furniture, some of the books, the table itself… but he shook his head as he said," I need something someone had a connection to, or at the very least a strong emotional experience with."

Ral thought over this, pouting a little as he assumed he wouldn't be allowed into the Guildpact's Office without Lavinia, especially with a stranger that Ral figured was wanted by some mix of Boros and Azorius mages for various transgressions. "This is the room that the lot of them spend the most time in," Ral commented, looking around. He tried not to spend a lot of time at the sanctum, bristling at the presence of so many planeswalkers. Talking to most of them made him feel self-conscious.

"What's the next most common room?"

"I don't know. I don't really spend a lot of time here," Ral said with a sheepish shrug. He slept in Jace's room a handful of times, Gideon's room even more, but he was reluctant to bring Dack to either of those places. His heart was too heavy to enter their rooms, and he hoped he could track them without baring their most private belongings to a psychometrist.

"I thought you were searching after your boyfriends?"

"Not so loud there. Some people like to remain discreet," Ral snapped.

This coming from the guy that had bull-rushed him in the open promenade? Dack rolled his eyes and began to complain," You have to be kidding me. Are you trying to be—"

"It's been a long month," Ral interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I haven't really been able to sleep lately. I'm a bit frazzled, I guess."

Dack could see it in the way Ral walked, the exhaustion shuddering through him whenever he stopped moving and when he prepared to begin walking again. Worrying for a loved one was a much more mundane cause for nightmares and sleepless nights, but Dack knew firsthand it didn't feel any better than a curse. "We'll find them. I'm the best at what I do, and you've seen how far away my expertise expands to be measured."

It was supposed to make him feel better, Ral knew, but it only served to remind him just how large the multiverse was for Jace and Gideon to be lost in. "Why don't we check Gideon's gym next?"

Dack gestured for Ral to lead the way and followed the other into a grand training room with walls of curious weapons that had to be from quite the assortment of worlds. He'd certainly consider sneaking back into here unwatched to examine all of these weapons. There could very well be a diamond in the rough amongst these weapons, or at the very least one that hailed from a world that promised interesting artifacts to pay off his debt with.

Scanning the room for where he should start first, Dack quirked an eyebrow at a piece of equipment that was poorly kept compared to its neighbors. Crouching down beside a ruined sandcastle, which was the remnants of a punching bag, Dack commented," This might be a good place to start."

His expertise was in magical items and weapons, things that stood the test of time and remembered the world and the pattern of who interacted with them through arcane sentience. An abandoned sand castle that had glass strings of pyromantic craft would have to do though. The stronger the history an item had, both in care in craft and time in the hands of various people, the more clearly he could typically read an item, but bursts of energy had a way of leaving their mark too. Dack squatted beside and reached out to the haphazardly crafted castle, letting his senses extend as much as they might be able.

Ral watched wearily from afar, having sat on a bench as soon as he entered the room. He was caught in a weird spot of hoping Dack would find information right away, and hoping that it might take him a while so he didn't feel guilty for not planeswalking immediately. Why couldn't Jace just come back and stay on Ravnica for a while?

Bright flashes of emotion buffeted Dack's consciousness, and at one moment, he felt intense disgust at an organization that killed renegades, and another he felt overwhelmed by the question of evil within divinity. Dack swayed as he stood, a hair breadth away from being bowled over by the intense emotions.

"I've got something," he announced. "The woman who charred this punching bag was native to Kaladesh, and there was a lot on her mind, but her homesickness was forefront." Now that he had a firm grasp on someone's experience and sense of location, he could track them across the multiverse.

Tiredly, Ral smiled, and it even reached his drooping eyes. "Good."

Eyeing the way Ral barely moved from his slouched position, Dack suggested," I can lead you personally when you deliver your payment." The payment he'd arranged wasn't much; he hadn't the heart to haggle aggressively with someone so desperate.

Ral rubbed his temples as he closed his eyes and asked," Do you have somewhere to sleep on Ravnica?"

"I make do."

"Can you meet me on Ivy Street tomorrow morning?"

"Not a problem."

Ral stood and held out his left hand, still not willing to provide contact with his gauntlet. "Thank you. I'll bring payment at six in the morning sharp," Ral promised.

Amused by Ral's effort to protect himself from his magic, Dack took the hand without comment and shook on it.

~~  
~~

Kaladesh had been a dead end. He didn't have much in the way of finances to pay Dack, and he didn't have much in the way of time to go on a goose hunt anyways. Ral slunk back to Ravnica in failure. They had been there for weeks, but upon confirming with an old woman, the group had continued on after something called a Penultimate Party, much to some guy named Ajani's chagrin. 

Dack had offered to bring him to the next plane, but Ral had no way of knowing if that was where they still were, or if it was just a pit stop on a journey through many planes. He had Izzet business to return to, even if he had stripped apart his own team with Lavinia's help. 

A knock at his lab door irked Ral, and he tiredly walked over to answer whoever could be bothering him at this—he checked and irritably noted it was a perfectly reasonable hour. His eyes naturally scanned downwards to the goblin at his door as he ground out," What do you want, Kreg?" 

"His Firemind has requested your immediate presence," she croaked out anxiously. 

"Of course he has," Ral said through a sigh. It was hardly surprising, given that his whole team was currently detained and he hadn't accomplished much without them. He followed his assistant reluctantly, mind idly thinking to the artifice he'd seen on Kaladesh as they walked. If he hadn't been so weary, heartbroken, and disappointed, he would have been blown away by the potential that plane possessed, unlike the backwater worlds he'd been made to trudge the few times he'd decided to explore the multiverse.

"Head Researcher Zarek," the curling bass voice of Niv-Mizzet announced as Ral entered the aviary. Not for the first time, Ral wondered if the dragon had set his aviary up to induce a feeling of being hunted and cornered upon those who sought his consul.

"The one and only," Ral said irreverently, having mastered the art of when he could get away with a little backtalk without being added to dinner's menu.

With a disproving plume of smoke trailing from his snout, Niv-Mizzet narrowed his intimidating eyes and growled," Yes, that is the problem, isn't it?"

Ral shook his head and raised one hand, nose curling in disgust as he said," If you want to expand into cloning, you should reach out to the Simic. I'm not messing around with that gross process."

"You've managed to find yourself without a team, shooting down your _second chance_ at this project. I'm beginning to wonder if you're the faulty cog," Niv-Mizzet replied, tail lashing with frustration.

Ral swallowed hard as he realized he had better back down from his surly repertoire. "Y-yes, well, there's no accounting for the glacial speed of the Azorius process. Apparently some of the workstations my team had set up weren't up to code. I'm still doing everything I can to further our progress on your elected topic, Great Firemind."

Niv-Mizzet was perched casually, but his spines flexed in a show of displeasure. "Dispense with the halfhearted show of respect, Zarek. I can understand why you might be disheartened in your project, but I need results. You will shape up, and I will be assigning a lab partner to keep you on your toes."

Ral rolled his eyes, hoping it wasn't the chamberlain. If he had to put up one day with her weirds, he was going to have to push the boundaries of " _murder_ " a little further. The sentience of weirds was up for debate, but his hatred of them wasn't. 

"An up and coming artificer, currently unaligned," Niv-Mizzet began introducing, beckoning someone to enter the room. "He has impressed me with his work on prosthetics, and promise to revolutionize the League."

Ral followed Niv-Mizzet's gaze to the door as a tall, blond man was entering through. His mouth went dry and his stomach lurched as he saw who entered the room, but he played the best he could at not recognizing the newcomer. "You expect me to work with some guildless tool? I'm surprised you would stoop to—"

"For someone so close to losing your title a second time, head researcher, I may suggest a little more moderation in your tone and conduct," Niv-Mizzet casually reminded, his voice rolling thunder. "I have commissioned him to aid you. He has an interesting prototype that promises travel even further than the limits of our teleportals, though is currently at a loss for powering such a device. _You_ will assist _him_ , since you cannot keep those under you in working order."

Eyes flashing with a mix of vexation at the incompetency of one of his brightest, and delight at the tantalizing prospect that had been brought his way late yesterday, Niv-Mizzet expounded," I believe your work with Project Lightning Bug may provide insight into retrofitting his prototype. You _will_ do your best to be of assistance to Tezzeret."

Bowing his head both to show deference to his leader's decree and to hide the tears gathering in his eyes, Ral tried to gather the calm to respond. His nightmares had become reality, and if he didn't get out of the aviary soon, he might be sick in front of the dracogenius himself. Between the scars that weren't his but currently burned across back and the nightmares he'd had of Jace running into this man, Ral couldn't look him in the eyes so unprepared as he was.

Ral had to clear his throat before he could manage," I'll do my best to aid him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plot thickens
> 
> I've had a few select scenes and ideas pretty close to finished since I first decided to go through with _Give // Take_ , and Dack and Ral meeting was one of them. It was ridiculously frustrating to have to remind myself that I hadn't gotten to sharing it yet. I love their banter and Dack's struggle to be the suave, heartless thief he thinks he should be. This just proves that time travel doesn't exist, or one of y'all would have mentioned months ago what an absolute asshole Ral is to him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, this chapter might be a little intense if you're in as bad of a headspace as me. No specific tw, but it spiked my anxiety while checking it over because I got an essential worker job and I'm really fucking stressed out. 
> 
> I might miss next week with how hectic my life is rn, but good things are on the horizon! My dog gets to do limited daycare two days a week, which is going to make everyone so much happier in my household, especially said dog. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is my current biggest piece of escapism, and after a week of trying, I got 6/6 rocks into a 6x6 grid. My friend is running a mini group session of D&D to catch some of up who are essential workers and missing the current discord campaign because of difficult hours. I don't care if these all sound like small things. I'm trying to stay positive and they all made me smile.

Ral nursed a bruised shoulder as he penned in a revision to his schematic. Tezzeret's last tantrum had sent a wrench sailing through his workshop, and while his capacitor had caught the brunt of the force, the tailend of the wrench had still made pretty hard contact when it reached his flesh. His gear currently sat, dinged, in the corner of his lab, his back too sore to sport it needlessly.

He was sleeping even less than he had in weeks prior, nightmares rampant; coding messages to deliver to Lavinia in lunch meetings he was making less and less frequently; and working out ways—that definitely didn't work, but seemed like they could—he could present as avenues for future study. He didn't know where the Gatewatch was, but he held onto the flimsy hope that if he just stalled long enough, they would return and intervene. Save the day. Whatever they were supposed to do.

He had to maintain the illusion of progress, which was keeping him up every other night if not more, so Niv-Mizzet didn't simply replace him. It didn't temper Tezzeret's bouts of rage any, and Ral had wracked up a decent count of offhand beatings from Tezzeret's displeasure. The intense, sadistic glee that Tezzeret got from doling out pain was no mystery to Ral, the nightmare Jace had shared in Ravnica's future playing on repeat in his head when he fainted from exhaustion.

He had just woken from such a fever dream, and he was pretty sure from the smeared ink on his schematic, he had transferred lines on his face. No one could accuse him of not burning the midnight oil. Well, no one sane could, which of course meant Tezzeret most likely _would_ when next he entered the lab.

Ral rubbed at his eyes and checked if there had been any new lightning bugs. Tezzeret was off-plane right now, and by the lack of readings, it looked like he still was. He now knew that the planeswalker that had scrambled his readings was Tezzeret, and while he couldn't track where the man went, he could verify that he hadn't yet returned.

Some small measure of relief welled within him at the thought. Maybe he could afford to try and fit in a half a night's rest.

No. He couldn't.

Ral picked up on his equations where he'd left off, frustratedly scratching out the last proof with his pen.

Rubbing at his face and neck as his throat began to itch, Ral wanted to cry. Lavinia had parsed his last message and cleanly responded back in code: _Azorius too._ Something had its claws in the League and the Senate, and Ral doubted that something that could pull the strings of his dragon leader and a sphinx would stop at just two guilds. 

Tezzeret was power hungry, but he didn't seem to have the patience or prudence to weave the guilds into discord. Ral also doubted that Tezzeret would be able to impress the Dimir or pay them enough to plant the current chaos that was brewing. Pushing Niv-Mizzet to the current discovery he was obsessing over also didn't seem in their best interest, since the Dimir's ability to travel undetected was one of their biggest boons.

 _What_ was Ral fighting? Would it make a difference if he knew? Was his meager hope that the Gatewatch would return a mark of stupidity at this point?

His eyes danced over the page in front of him as he realized in his fatigue _he'd accidentally solved it_. He'd solved the equation Tezzeret needed for his planar bridge. No. no. no. no…

Bile in his throat, Ral snatched up the schematic and balled it up in one hand, incinerating it for good measure. He'd recognized that Tezzeret was trying to power a teleportal that could break through the Blind Eternities the second he'd seen the man's schematic, and fear had lanced him on the spot as he wondered what the man wanted with such power. Planeswalkers were powerful enough with the ability to walk themselves from plane to plane. What could a megalomaniac accomplish with the power to planeswalk _anything_ and however much they wanted of it?

As the ashes were sifting to the ground from between his fingers, arcs of welding-like blue metal heralded a planeswalk directly into his lab, sounding the alarm of his personal Lightning Bug. He didn't need to check the readings to know who it was, though he was surprised the man was tipping his hand and revealing his planeswalker status so blithely. Ral had been certain Tezzeret knew he was aware, but he hadn't revealed it to Ral's face before now.

"Another failure?" The baritone timber mocked from behind him, and Ral steeled himself before looking back.

"Yeah, it's amazing how a lack of sleep results in poor cognitive function. If only we had studies that proved this and used their findings to promote more productive workers," Ral shot back coldly as he looked over his shoulder as casually as he could muster, his heart hammering so fast he felt dizzy.

Standing, but resting against the desk for support, he looked the man up and down and called," Well met, Tezzeret Planeswalker."

"I wonder if you had figured it out yourself. Despite your idiocy, I could see something was managing to percolate in that braindead head of yours. There wasn't time to play around and see if you could draw the conclusion first, unfortunately."

Ral let his hatred burn, electricity arcing from his shoulders to lightning rods placed strategically through the lab. He should have turned them off before Tezzeret returned so he could " _accidentally_ " shock him. It would take too much concentration to send an arc his way to be dismissed as anything less than intentional now. 

"The boss is disappointed in your lack of progress," Tezzeret said, voice dripping resentment as he began to walk through Ral's lab and callously knock his personal tools to the ground.

 _He's trying to get a rise out of me_ , Ral thought, gritting his teeth. As his one thirty-nine tweezer-soldering iron clattered to the ground, Ral had to admit to himself, _and it's working_.

Pushing himself to think rationally, he asked," Boss? I know you're not from the League, but no one _on Ravnica_ refers to Niv-Mizzet as just 'boss'."

"No, your _real_ boss, you simpleton. You think that overgrown lizard just stumbled upon me while I was working on plans this grand? And I thought you were one of the Izzet's most promising rain mages."

It was hard to even hear Tezzeret's words through blood rushing in his ears, but Ral focused as well as he could manage for the three hours of sleep he was running on in the last two days. "Oh? And who is my actual boss?" 

"He'll want to introduce himself. Dragon's pride and all that," Tezzeret responded with, dodging the answer with a roll of his eyes.

Ral was apprehensive of the ego wielded by someone _Tezzeret_ seemed to think was over-inflated. A dragon, to boot… Ral found his throat dry and it became hard to swallow.

"Ready to be on our way?"

"I need my gear," Ral stuttered out, fear rising in his stomach as he realized he needed to planeswalk on demand despite being so tired he was falling asleep at his desk.

~~  
~~

The world was hot enough Ral was considering taking his gauntlet off. It would burn his skin if left in contact for an hour or more without him concentrating on redirecting heat, no doubt about it. A feeling of death warmed over— _undeath_ , Ral corrected at the unnatural chill that ran down his spine—overwhelmed him as he was led through the streets of blood and broken infrastructure by the man he despised. He could only imagine he would hate whomever sought to employ such a violent bastard, though he wondered if he was capable of hating anyone more than he did Tezzeret.

A war had rampaged on this plane, quite recently, Ral noted as he looked around. He was ready to keel over, the mix of his exhaustion, this heat, and his Izzet leathers not doing him any favors. His brow was furrowed, his eyes batting sand away the best they could, and Ral could barely see, but he could make out the devastation that had befallen this world plain as day. What looked like it might have been a verdant garden to his left was a shriveled husk of vegetation, the pools and streams that ran through it blood red and viscous from floating bodies. 

The only bodies that did not litter the ground were some strange variant of zombie Ral did not recognize, plated in a metal he was unfamiliar with, marching through the streets with a callous disregard for life he recognized only too well.

"You may want to wipe that naive sorrow off your face," Tezzeret mocked. "It won't win you any favors with our master."

"This isn't my plane. I don't care what befell them," Ral gritted out as believably as he could. He did care. He cared that he was walking through a battlefield littered with the remnants of undead and slaughtered citizens. This had to have been a fairly prosperous city before this atrocity if the massive stone monuments were anything to go by. Its industry and those who enjoyed it were gone, lost to the literal sands of time that swirled around him and tried to junk up his gear.

"What about how it befell the Gatewatch?"

Tezzeret's question was dropped so casually that Ral couldn't prepare himself as he looked around with sudden horror. The blood splattered over broken stone, the bodies that had fallen early enough in the struggle to be covered in cloth before the world ran out of grief and pity… Jace… Gideon… Liliana and Chandra and the elf who respected his privacy…

Now true sorrow, not a sympathetic echo for a people he didn't know, was graven on his face. He couldn't even blame the dryness of the desert wind for the tears that welled and fell down his cheeks. "Th-The… The Gatewatch was here?" His words were the ash of dying fires around him.

"They were," Tezzeret coyly echoed. Then, with eyes suddenly alert and tense, he looked skyward and called," Master, I have brought Ral Zarek as requested."

Ral didn't know what he expected as he looked up. A dragon clad in golden armor gracefully descending before him had not been it, though. He remembered the night Jace had shared his nightmare of Tezzeret—the conversation afterwards.

_"Bolas is a dragon twice the size of Niv Mizzet," Jace had said through gasping breaths. "A planeswalker. Probably the oldest I've ever met. An elder dragon."_

A mind reader too, he remembered as he tried to raise his mental shields. A sharp point of pain knocked from within his skull, and he only put up a second's worth of resistance.

"Ah, poor Zarek," the dragon sarcastically bemoaned. "Your little boyfriend—ah, two of them. Your little boy _friends_ fell in battle defending a hopeless plane. To die in vain can be such a tragedy. At least they have someone to remember them."

This was far from Ral's first time speaking to a dragon, and he looked back to Tezzeret who had a glower almost severe as his own and boldly ventured," Bolas, right?" The dragon might be twice the size of Niv-Mizzet, but he'd be more impressed than terrified if he could boast twice the ego or wit.

"So you've heard of me…" He paused as he carded through Ral's thoughts casually. "Ah, but very little. You know but a grain of my grandeur from the feeble words of a frequently broken boy," Bolas stated haughtily.

His mind felt warped like cheap gold plating exposed to volcanic heat, pulled and bent and played with by a cruel force with no concept of pity. Ral didn't bother to hide his tears, his thoughts already bare before him.

"I am Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh of Amonkhet, Mind-Ripper and Deathbringer, Prized Sun of Time Itself," the golden dragon intoned with his deepest, most intimidating voice. The vibrato shook and felled crumbling buildings, echoing for the desolate world to hear. "Planeswalker before all others to follow at the heels of my power, and Conqueror of all I survey."

Bravado shaking through him, Ral blustered," Is 'He who has a title longer than his tail' the final epithet?" His voice was a croaking mess beside the great dragon and his contemptuous servant. 

He was almost disappointed as he wasn't smited on the spot by this so-called god, and he couldn't hold back a sob as the dragon shook his head and laughed disdainfully.

"To be burdened with believing you have a witty tongue and be so thoroughly lacking in commonsense," Nicol Bolas chastised, reaching forth with a large claw and chuckling as he showed the puny human with telepathy how easy it would be for him to leave the human a rotting, mindless sack of flesh. His claw circled lazily over Ral, only an arm's reach away and nearly as long as he was tall.

Ral was properly terror-stuck as the power of the being that towered over him infiltrated his mind like it was a book defended simply by a mere cobweb. "Take heart, little Ravnican. I see your thoughts, your half-spun plans, your cobbled schemes, and yet I'll let you live, for my greatness is ineffable and all powerful. You will go back to your League and continue your work on the planar bridge. If you do not, I will simply find another mage on another plane to continue the work."

Bolas grinned imperiously as he combed gently through the vermin's mind, making clear through the care he used how meticulously he could destroy it in an instant. One shouldn't play with their food, but he was so seldom given a proper show. "The only difference being that your precious Izzet League will be laid to ruin and the blood of that tiny child of a dragon will splatter across the halls of New Prahv, oozing from the ruins of Nivix."

"Tezzeret," Bolas called to his puppet," Come, let us give this small ant time to collect his thoughts and return of his own accord so we may know if the Izzet League falls tomorrow."

Scowling at being called like a dog, Tezzeret pushed past Ral and trudged in the direction Nicol Bolas flew off.

Panic shook through Ral's chest. Zombies milled about, but he barely paid them mind as he stared off into the middle distance, trying to hold himself together after such an encounter.

Ral felt he should be moving, he should be going. If he wasn't going, he was staying, and if he stayed, the Izzet would be obliterated. He couldn't breathe though. His mouth was agape, and his mouth was filled with sand like the yellow grit plastered to his wet cheeks. 

_The Gatewatch had fallen_ , he thought with a sob. 

They had been destroyed by an elder dragon planeswalker, who casually commanded Tezzeret—a man who had caused Ral endless fear and pain the past few weeks.

His knees burned as he realized he'd fallen to them. His hands were numb, though he placed one to his chest, thinking if it didn't stop hurting like that he might just jumpstart it for the hells of it to see if it would finally stop racing. Ral's sweaty brow collected yet more sand as he curled down and cried helpless tears into the dead desert wastes.


	23. Chapter 23

Empty of tears, a chilled composure finding him in a dark place, Ral finally stood and looked about the night. Swarming undead was nothing to stay for. He might as well return to Ravnica before he doomed his own guild. 

As he broke down into a mass of electrical impulses, his now-immaterial chest felt a familiar tug on it, and with clarity he'd never experienced, he saw before him the aether trail of other planeswalkers. He recognized Gideon's, having recorded his for weeks before he knew the man personally, and Liliana's, having experienced her departure in Jace's Sanctum.

Before he knew what he was doing, he followed the desperate tracks of escape to a plane he'd never been to. Why did none of the aether trail feel like Jace? He had to put it out of mind as he clawed his way painfully into an old world. 

As he felt the world beneath his feet, he couldn't secure purchase and found himself falling, hands immediately grasping for any salvation that would have him. Metal on metal sounded as the shaft of a spear clanged against his gauntlet and Ral grabbed hold frantically. It smarted in his shoulder, being supported by such a thin line of support, but he stopped falling down the hill. A war worn hand was offered his way momentarily later, and Ral heaved himself to his feet with its help.

Ral looked around for the first time, seeing a ragtag army around him, and as his searching eyes returned to the man who'd helped him up, they crinkled in relief. "Gideon," he breathed.

"Ral? What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing with an army?"

"Liliana and I need to slay an ancient demon to—"

Ral interjected," Ravnica's in danger!"

"I know, Ral, the whole Multiverse is. We're trying to become strong enough to kill a dragon even more ancient and powerful than Mizzet."

Being so uninterested in the guilds apart from how they could help him save innocent people, Gideon could _almost_ be forgiven for not realizing Niv-Mizzet was one name. Almost. Lollygagging with Liliana to find a stupid store of magic or something when Ravnica was iminent danger was unforgivable.

Ral shook his head, pulling slowly away from the inviting arms of Gideon as he protested," No, you need to collect your stupid Gatewatch and bring them all to Ravnica. Nicol Bolas is planning something _there_."

"Ral," Gideon said softly reaching forward and brushing some the tears-dried sand from his face.

His chest ached again, and Ral looked around more closely, seeing only Gideon and Liliana among their ranks. "Wh-where's Jace? Where are the others?" He leaned subconsciously into Gideon's efforts to wash away the horror he'd experienced on Amonkhet.

"Nissa quit," Liliana butt in, waltzing over and placing a hand on her hip judgingly, taking in their emotive display with thinly pursed lips.

"And Chandra said she needs to grow stronger, but she left without saying how she would," Gideon added, a personal sting of failure coloring his words.

Silence grew, silence thick enough that not even Liliana was willing to kill it. Finally, eyes looking down at the steady hand that held him close as the other continued to brush sand from his face and hair, Ral forced out the question," What about Jace?"

The silence grew heavier, and Ral pushed himself away from Gideon. "What about Jace?!" His face pinched in pain and he looked away as Gideon couldn't immediately answer. Liliana wouldn't spare his feelings, he felt, and he desperately looked to her.

"We don't know what happened to him," Liliana admitted. "Gideon saw him leave Amonkhet, but he didn't show up here with us." Her voice was clipped, like she was reading a list she'd read off a hundred times already.

Ral balked at her, then looked to Gideon with strained eyes, stomach rising to his throat as he saw the resigned nod Gideon gave. "Wh-what do you mean…? You should be out there finding him! H-he—Jace is the idiot who believes in this group! He's the moron who wants to save the multiverse from itself!"

With a sigh, Liliana said," We don't even know if he's alive. Bolas… he…" Her eyes grew glassy as she made herself finish," I saw him place his claw to Jace's forehead. He rips minds apart, and Jace's has never been the most secure in the first place."

Ral couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he angrily said," If you won't save Ravnica, I will. That's where Jace would return anyways. You'll see!"

He was gone before he could scare himself from the prospect of planeswalking, erupting into a back alley of Ravnica and immediately wrenching himself to a gutter as he began heaving. Between awful minutes of emptying his stomach and letting himself lay half-dead on the cobblestone because it was cold against his skin, Ral feverishly thought he'd need to unite the guild leaders and protect Ravnica himself—No, that wasn't quite right.

Lavinia would help him. Emmara would help him. He could work out a deal with the Orzhov; Teysa was willing to listen. Jarad was a genuinely nice guy. The Boros… They would be Boros-y…

Ral's mind was used to working overactively, used to projecting a storm of information for him to pick through, but it was failing to string together syllables as his eyes stared off into the middle distance for sometime before he finally fell unconscious.

He woke to the sensation of being dragged. His face was torn up from the gritty stone beneath him, and he'd apparently slept through a storm of some sort if his soggy work clothes were anything to go by. Ral tried to project his awareness, but his mind felt like the last corpse chosen to raise in a Golgari game of dodgeball.

Ral grumbled something unintelligible, and a sadistic laugh cut off his ravings. "About time you woke up," Tezzeret said just loud enough that Ral could hear.

Fear spiked, but Ral forced himself to calm down and listen.

"You only had a few more hours left before I was to notify our boss to come parade through the streets with Niv-Mizzet a gory mess."

As Ral's brain sorted itself out, he realized he was being dragged by one leg by the other artificer, Tezzeret's metal claws cutting into his leg and causing rivulets of blood to trail down and pool by his knee.

"Luckily for you, I didn't feel like setting up shop on a new plane, so I came and retrieved you," Tezzeret continued, enjoying his own voice enough not to care if Ral was listening.

Letting himself fade back to black, Ral thought he'd worry about rallying Ravnica tomorrow…

~~  
~~

A knock at Ral's lab door sent static down his whole frame and almost started the schematics he was working on aflame. Inhaling through his nose and bracing himself to deal with Tezzeret, Ral walked to the door stiffly, every muscle in his body willing him to _run_. get away. Find somewhere Tezzeret couldn't follow him—

But with a steeled look of annoyance, Ral opened the door and began to bark," What do you w—"

A woman with red hair and foreign garb was at his door, and he squinted at her as he asked," Chandra, right?" He didn't know her like he did Gideon and Liliana, but he remembered seeing her about the sanctum here and there. Jace's sanctum…

His heart felt like it skipped a beat and he had to ask her to repeat what she was saying.

"Yeah, um, sorry to kind of barge in on you like this. Ral, is it?" Chandra said, tucking some hair behind her ear and then hugging her arms close.

"You're welcome to come in," Ral said flatly, mostly because he had questions for her, then added," At your own risk." Tezzeret had him working at such odd hours and had been coming by frequently to instill fear, and he couldn't recall a time he'd slept a good four hours for days—weeks. 

"At my—? Oh!" Chandra took a step back as a particularly large bolt of lightning peeled from Ral's form and arced back to a lightning rod. It had to be filling up; he would need to discharge it soon. One small benefit of this all was that his personal generators would never run dry.

She came in anyways, to Ral's surprise, though the next arc that threatened her was met with a sudden burst of air superheated enough that Ral choked for a second. Electricity, always hedging in favor of a path of least resistance, crackled so it could travel through colder, less resistant air.

"What—" Ral had to cough and swallow saliva a few times, his mouth too dry to form words, before he could continue," What brings you here?"

"Um, I guess I needed someone to talk to."

Ral barked with laughter. "And you chose me?!" How desperate did someone have to be?

"And uh, my gauntlet has been acting up since I traveled to a desert." Chandra held up her arm donning the offending artifact, and Ral hurriedly grabbed it with interest. The artifice was a style he wasn't familiar with, but he could appreciate the fine filigree on the cords at such a close glance.

Ah, well, he was familiar with the slim pickings a planeswalker needing someone to talk to was left with in choosing a confidant. He sighed and extended her arm and turned it palm up so he could release the bands that held it in place.

"Hey, what are you doing…"

"I'll clean it and your capacitor—"

"Regulator."

"Sure, your regulator. Want to undo that paulron for me?"

They set quietly to unbuckling the vent pack, and armor that her artifice consisted of, so Ral could lay it out on his work table. It was a beautiful machine, and that it still worked despite its failings in metal composition and exposure to Amonkhet was a testament to good design. "This isn't Izzet design," Ral commented.

"No, the, uh, regulator is Kaladeshi. My gauntlet is from Regatha," Chandra said, sitting in a chair off to the side and leaning in on herself. Her voice was clinical, like she was submitting records in a boring, official capacity.

"Never heard of the second one," he said over his shoulder as if he'd ever heard much of the first. He busied himself with searching for the right size wire brush to send through the piping. It had taken him the better part of yesterday morning to clear his own gear of the cloying sand of Amonkhet. It had honestly been the most relaxing time of the last month of his life.

She looked heartbroken, and didn't seem much for talking despite her excuse for being here.

"I…" Ral's voice was pinched and went out like a dying flame. "Amonkhet…"

"What a mess," Chandra whispered. She buried her face in her hands and her shoulders shook, though no sound left her.

Tears welled in Ral's eyes and his hands shook as he decoupled the vent pack and strung a brush through the intake duct. "Yeah," he wheezed. "Yeah, a real fucking mess." He used more force than was strictly necessary as he twirled the brush through and dislodged sand.

"I-I don't know where to go from here," Chandra continued," My fire… my fire was a candle in front of a floodlight." She was brought out of her reverie as she looked over to see him pop the grille off of her regulator. "Hey! What are you doing?"

He grumbled and asked," What, have you never serviced this thing?"

"No? Was I supposed to?"

For the love of every goblin god… Ral looked incredulously at her after looking at the worn scrapes of the well-aged machine. "Yes, once, in the last decade of your life, it could have paid to clean the vent."

Her brow crinkled once more and she raised a hand to it with worry. "You don't think…"

"No," he said softly, grabbing a hose and sending some compressed air through the vent's blades. "The craftsman must have really known their stuff. That it still works with this much sand… It would probably run after a few tours through the undercity sewers, and you don't want to know what it would be clogged with then." He always hated cleaning his gear after servicing any cityworks that dragged him through Golgari territory.

This brought a thin smile to her face, but it couldn't last.

"It sounds like none of you were ready for your encounter," Ral said through a scowl.

Jace was—

Jace was gone because of their foolhardiness. He set a rag down and held his head in his hands. "What were you all thinking?"

"We felt powerful. We thought—We killed gods, and turned over a crooked government, a-and…" Her voice trailed off as a soft cry left Ral. "I'm so sorry. I'm going to become stronger. I'm going to fix this."

Ral chillingly asked," How?"

He popped the grille back into place as he awaited an answer, then worked on figuring out how to remove the paneling of the gauntlet. Ral was less impressed with the gauntlet. It was of sound construction, but it was clearly the weakest link of the ensemble and was what caused her enough interference to notice.

The gauntlet took him almost an hour to clean, and he had to appreciate that Chandra never offered a weak answer. One flywheel had a chaotic pattern ground into it from the sand, and after careful inspection he decided it wouldn't work much longer as is even after he cleaned it. She must have trusted him enough by now not to question it as she dourly watched him pop it out and bring the defective piece with him to a pile of scrap.

As he was holding up potential replacements, Chandra spoke up. He had to stop rifling through the scrap pile and turn to her so he could hear her words. "I'm going to hone my fire. I'm going to melt the cocky smile off of Bolas's face."

He looked at her solemnly, neither doubting her resolve, nor believing that would really fix anything.

"I just need to think ahead or whatever. I need to make a plan," she continued, fire beginning to lick her face as red curls started to rise in the updraft.

"You should go see whoever made your regulator. They clearly had a good understanding of your magic," Ral suggested, playing with the broken flywheel in his hands and keeping his head down so she couldn't see the tears in his eyes. Jace would be proud of her resolve, her will to see this through and remove such a threat as Nicol Bolas from the multiverse.

"I can't," she said with a lead tongue. "My father… He passed some time ago, and anyways… I already went home. Kaladesh left us _feeling_ strong, but it's never helped my pyromancy any."

Ral nodded, familiar with unhelpful origins and supportive father figures that were no more for this world. "Where did you study your pyromancy?"

"Keral Keep, um, Ragatha," Chandra answered, remembering halfway through answering that Ral had said he wasn't familiar with the plane.

"Well, I would start there then," Ral said, then felt an epiphany regarding his own problem of not knowing where to start. Niv-Mizzet was older than the guilds themselves. If someone could help him bring them together in the tight spot he found himself right now, it was the dragon that was hopefully on his side.

Chandra had to raise a protective envelope of hot air once more as Ral exploded in sparks, and Ral smiled apologetically. "Back to your roots, the ones that actually forged who you are today… I have to do that too."

She looked at him curiously and asked," Where are you going?"

"I'm right where I need to be. I just need to get a message out," Ral said, returning to finding the perfect replacement flywheel so he could finish the repair he started and get her out of his hair while he planned. No—she was the perfect messenger.

"A message?"

Sitting down in front of the dissected gauntlet and popping a replacement flywheel in, he tested it would keep balance and nodded approvingly. "Yeah, I wasn't planning on charging you for this visit, but I have a favor to ask."

"What's the favor?"

"I'm on house arrest of sorts," Ral began sourly, thinking of planted mages that had followed him the few times he tried to leave his lab. It had gotten to the point that he and Lavinia barely had lunch these days, since she was being tailed too. "But even that can't stop me from being summoned by His Firemind."

A look of reasonable misgiving cinched her face as she asked," And what am I supposed to say to get you summoned by the dragon? Who would I even ask?"

"I haven't figured that out yet. Let me put your gauntlet back together and we'll see what I come up with," Ral said, mind racing as he realized this was his chance. She let him work in silence as he quickly clicked everything back into place.

As Chandra replaced all of her gear, she looked to Ral expectantly. "So, what have you come up with?" She made a small fireball with her gauntleted hand and smiled at the ease before winking it out. She'd made a good choice coming here. Thinking of returning to Keral Keep, it seemed so obvious now, but she'd inspired the other too. Sometimes the 'obvious' next step was muddied by one's own apprehension.

"Tell Kreg, she should be working the Boilerworks right now—I'll write down an address—that Head Researcher Zarek needs an audience with His Firemind to discuss new staffing and power allowance. She'll know what to do."

~~  
~~

"Zarek, one of the few head researchers I've promoted to such prominence _twice_ , the only one in the last two decades," Niv-Mizzet greeted, tail coiling around himself smugly as the grin pulled across wickedly curved fangs. It was a blatant threat of sorts. The last person he'd promoted to head researcher, demoted and re-promoted again, had met their end as an appetizer for the Dracogenius.

"Yes, Your Firemind," Ral acknowledged, bowing his head in deference and to pull a short-lived face at the pretension of his guild leader. "I've been quite lucky thus far. Thank you for the allowance you have given me."

"Oh, please, Zarek. You can't hide behind stitled words with me," Niv-Mizzet scoffed, lighting the firemind in the back of his researcher's head.

The burning behind Ral's eyes was as comforting as it was terrifying. The firemind had given him much over the years, and it was an intimate reminder that his secrets were never truly that hidden. " _Yes, my words are going to be fake. We are being watched_ ," Ral thought, tugging at the connection the best he could. He would never have the subtle touch that Jace had, but as he felt the dragon's presence weigh down his mind with its might, he breathed out with relief. He had _enough_ precision after his months of practice with Jace.

Carrying on with boring words aloud that Ral knew didn't matter, the electromancer focused on the words melting through his mind," _You have my attention, young Zarek. What should the feeble mind of my most interesting protogé have to tell me this day?_ "

Most interesting. Feeble. Ral felt the weight of the dragon's appraisal very personally as he ventured to inform Niv-Mizzet of a very intimate secret and a paramount conspiracy. As he opened his mouth, his tongue felt animated by impulses not his own, and he realized that Niv-Mizzet had orchestrated a conversation for the both of them to cover with, pulling the strings of his mouth like he was a simple Rakdos puppet.

" _There is an extraplanar threat to Ravnica. An intruder wishes to harness our guild's scientific might to his own means_ ," Ral began, knowing that there was no turning back. He was branding himself an other and divulging his innermost secrets. Even if he didn't get far enough to say them, Niv-Mizzet now had all the invitation he needed to bore into Ral's mind and leave him brain-dead as he ate up the information he sought, should he so wish. 

" _I have felt this incessant intrusion for some time_ ," Niv-Mizzet casually replied. " _There was an age when our plane was pleasantly undisturbed by outside forces, back when the original Guildpact protected us from the meddlesome entrance of those who wished to play with others' toys._ "

Ral was heartbroken to hear this. He may have found Niv-Mizzet pompous and annoying to work for as he got more hands on experience, but there had been a time when the dragon was his hero, the catalyst that pushed him to join the Izzet… To hear his spark was abhorred by Niv-Mizzet hurt more than Ral could have ever possibly thought it would. His thoughts floundered and he couldn't focus them into a coherent string of information before Niv-Mizzet passed him by.

" _Make no mistake, you don't wield such power as those Azor pushed out of Ravnica. You are a—_ " There was a hiccup in his thoughts as he found the right analogy with a buzz of amusement. " _A lightning bug in the halo cast by the wings of a phoenix._ "

Ral hardly found that comforting, but he had enough time to build a reply. " _A dragon, Nicol Bolas, has sent Tezzeret here to power a machine capable of transporting…_ " Only now did Ral realize _what_ Bolas wanted to transport. He pushed images of Amonkhet towards Niv-Mizzet, his own feelings of loss going along for the ride as he didn't have the control to separate them. He shared what he knew of Nicol Bolas, what Tezzeret had said to him over the last few weeks.

" _So the Guildpact was a planeswalker as I suspected_ ," Niv-Mizzet posited with no sense of surprise.

" _Y-yes, Jace Beleren was a planeswalker_ ," Ral confirmed, a scowl taking residence on his face though he remained dry-eyed. The over-eager child in him refused to let himself cry in front of the idol he'd long ago came to have too personal a frustration with, still hoping to win his approval after all this time. " _You knew? About me…? How long?_ "

" _What did you expect, being welcomed into the fold and having your mind burned in my image? Do you miss those nightmares I seared to mere husks?_ "

With surprise, Ral protested," _B-but I've done everything to hide it. I-I…_ " He'd ruined his own research to protect _nothing_. Ral felt sick as he realized this.

" _I'm aware of your meager attempt to hide your status_ ," Niv-Mizzet crooned a little mockingly. " _And I played along since it pleased my curiosity. In perhaps the biggest disappointment of this decade, you played your hand… predictably._ "

Ral found his brain sputtering, shame licking at his heels as he felt mere inches tall before a goliath.

Dragging his favorite protogé through remorse no longer suited his fancy, and Niv-Mizzet languidly asked," _Have you ever noticed the heiromantic power of the Guildpact is_ weaker _when Beleren is absent?_ "

Ral had never been aware, honestly. He was so caught up in the delegate paperwork and what not, and then after getting to know Jace, so caught up in worrying about where he was, to care about being able to flex the letter of the law. He was a little embarrassed as he realized the clouding of his awareness.

Ral spouted something with his mouth that he couldn't follow, but accentuated his thoughts with his hands as he asked," _And what do you hope to use this weakened state of the law for?_ "

" _The power it would take to run the bridge Tezzeret has brought, the bridge Nicol Bolas hopes to run… It would take rerouting of the ten guild's leylines. You of course have realized this._ "

Ral _had_ realized this, and even wrote out the necessary plans to make it happen, but he'd burned them. He hadn't shared this with anyone, but more than one dragon should have realized his successful leap in logic. " _Bolas read my mind._ Played _with it. How didn't he see?_ "

" _How have I used you as an emissary of the Izzet's desires, ignoring our complicit nature in disputes, when our Guildpact is a telepath?_ " Niv-Mizzet cryptically answered, tail lashing for emphasis. " _You are as bowed before it as I please, but also as protected by my firemind as you are willing to be._ "

Of course, he acknowledged with a hand ruffling through his hair in resignation. Ral had been read by Nicol Bolas, but the dragon hadn't seen his solution for the Planar Bridge's power problem. As heartbroken as he'd been, as easy to wound with Jace's defeat, he had remained adamant that the Izzet wouldn't be Tezzeret's answer to letting Nicol Bolas infiltrate Ravnica with an army of the undead.

" _So now we know what is readying to invade our world_ ," Niv-Mizzet stated, focusing his bright, yellow eyes on Ral. " _What do we plan to do about it?_ "

" _We need to unite the guilds and protect Ravnica. With their power together…_ "

Niv-Mizzet spread his wings and breathed fire, a punctuation to the verbal conversation they were meant to be having. Ral rose a hand to protect his face from the intense heat, and in his mind he heard," _We will give Tezzeret what he wants, for now. With the Living Guildpact absent, we can infiltrate territory as we please. We must press our advantage and draw power quickly. We'll use all that gathered power for our own ends, before they realize we've finished._ "

Ral lowered his arm and saw the intense gaze of the dragon before him. "Head Researcher Zarek," Niv-Mizzet ground out aloud," It's about time you stop wasting my time if you do not wish to be a midday snack."

"Yes, Your Firemind!" Ral quickly said, bowing his head once more, feeling the edges of a headache beginning.

" _An Izzet mage doesn't impede Izzet research_ ," Niv-Mizzet reminded his head researcher. " _I'd hoped for more of you… even if you'd been burdened with a planeswalker's spark._ "

Ral's eyes guiltily dropped to the ground as he saw himself out, the firemind burning inside his skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Maintained my streak! This just in, things are still not great for Ral... And he would really appreciate going a day without talking to a dragon right now. 
> 
> Thank you for all your support. Posting a chapter and hearing your thoughts on it is honestly the highlight of my week <3 <3 <3


	24. Chapter 24

And so direction had been given, Ral had to make good on his plan to unite the guilds. He and the Firemind were in agreement that they had to play along with Tezzeret. The power Tezzeret and Bolas desired was dangerous to gather when their prototype was ready to be activated with it, but also necessary to power any resistance they might come up with. 

The current plan was running a decoy path while they ran the true leyline without Tezzeret's notice. That was going to mean double the manpower laying two lines, and a lot of deception to keep Tezzeret believing the openly discussed rig was the true leyline. It also doubled the incursions into guild territory the Izzet would be embarking on, which was a trouble all on its own.

Ral was anything but shy about trespassing. A proper Izzet mage acknowledged that property was insignificant to intellectual property. The creative—and admittedly often destructive—force of scientific discovery was a duty to the people, and much more fun than their official duty of public works.

He didn't want to bring about more guild disputes though, when he knew that any attempt to reach the Guildpact for an official mediation would fail and only threaten to further destabilize peace. Lavinia had intimated over their last few lunches that they were being watched, and more importantly, that the Azorius were compromised. He had to assume that someone with the ability to overthrow order in the Azorius and weasle a guildless artificer into a high level project in the Izzet would have infiltrated every guild in some capacity.

Therefore, it was no small blessing that the first territory he would have to build into was the Selesnya, with a maze runner with which he held rapport. 

"It's been a while," Emmara said as he entered her glade. 

Ral thought back to the night he'd picked the glade out unknowingly and spilled his guts to her, frowning embarrassedly. "Yeah, didn't much plan on attending a service, but desperate times and all that."

Her eyes hardened, almost managing a wrinkle in her immaculate brow, as she asked," And just what desperate measures are in order today?"

"Hey, uh, it's been a long time, but there's still that thing where you can do a guided meditation and allegedly talk directly to Mat'Selesnya," Ral said, uncertainty encasing his statement and making clear it was more of a question.

"Not allegedly," Emmara corrected, staring him down with a fair dose of venom in her eyes. They'd talked about his dismissal of her religion. It was fine if he didn't have faith, but he had been pretty good at refraining from implying it was fake. Knowing the follow-up question, she smoothed her ceremonial robes and said," And, yes, and I am sanctioned to provide the service."

Upon his righting himself with relief, she held control of the conversation with a serious affect. "But it's a sacred rite, typically only administered to the dying." It was a peace of mind given to those who were soon to join the Holy Chord—not a casual prayer to throw around because one was bored.

"Well, I'm not exactly marching towards life these days, couldn't hurt," he said with a shrug.

"Ral, a little more respect. There are parishioners about," Emarra whispered, concern failing to dull the sudden edge in her voice. "What is this about?"

He leaned in close and barely breathed his question. "Is it confidential?"

Emmara wasn't prepared for a hug from Ral Zarek of all people, and haltingly returned it as his arms carefully wrapped around her, realizing just how serious he had to be to put on such an affectionate display in public to relay a message. "Of course," she answered equally quietly," Between myself, the participant, and the Holy Chord."

"Good, good, it really has been too long since we saw each other," he said as he pulled away and squeezed one of her shoulders in a friendly manner. She felt something underneath his hand poking into her arm and placed her hands over his so it would slip into them when he let go.

Emmara smiled, playing along as she realized this was a very deliberate—and he must have thought necessary—display. "I know how busy you've been lately. I'm sorry I couldn't make it out to you either."

Her shoulder was beginning to tingle, and she could see the stress lining his eyes despite his best attempt at a genuine smile. "Come, let me pour you some coffee," she offered.

"There's coffee?"

"Just for you," she joked, then stepped away and gestured for him to follow. She managed to hide whatever he had slipped her, and resisted the urge to see what it was until she led him into a marble antechamber that connected the glade with private chambers for clerical use.

Her eyes flitted to the crumpled up piece of draft paper with the words ' _we're being watched_ ' scrawled in his distinctive handwriting. She looked to him with wide eyes, then around the small, marble room they inhabited and back. He shrugged lightly, and she took it to mean, _likely_. Closing her hands around it once more, she willed the fiber to bend to her will and become a small flower so it could be read no more.

It had only been a pretense to investigate what he'd slipped her, but Ral was more than happy to pour himself some coffee while he awaited her response.

"So you wanted to commune," Emmara began, a little more favorably. "How long are you available? It's a long process."

Ral rolled his eyes and sighed sharply. "Of course it is. How does the life church actually get anything done when all the rituals are longer than the calendar year?"

"And how many tests does an Izzet mage run in the average experiment?"

"That's for scientific integrity," Ral countered.

With a delicate shrug and unaffected pout, Emmara calmly echoed," Religious integrity."

"Okay, whatever. I guess I have about three hours max," he said, subconsciously rubbing his aching ribs from where he'd taken a frustrated backhand from Tezzeret's metal hand the last time he'd been late.

Eyes honing in on his stance and idle motion, Emmara asked," Are you in pain?"

"N-no. I just—" He couldn't think of an excuse and his voice broke. "Just been long days in the lab," he weakly finished. If Lavinia's implications were correct, there was nearly imperceivable surveillance out and about, and it was hard to pinpoint where it might crop up. He would not have it get back to Tezzeret that he complained about the injuries he received, knowing that could only end up in worse injuries down the line.

She frowned at his poor deflection and said," You should take better care of yourself. Haven't heard of any Izzet science that can replace your body when it breaks down yet."

Ral didn't pull away as she closed the distance between them and placed a hand to his ribs, and after a moment of observation also to his shoulder, and healed the injuries. "Thank you," he said, eyes growing warm and misty. "I'll try."

"Let's get that communion started so you can tell Mat'Selesnya your hopes, regrets, and reconciliations."

Never in a hundred years had Ral thought he would willingly subject himself to more life church nonsense, especially taking hours out of his hectic schedule to supposedly commune to the tree, Vitu-Ghazi, itself. Like he had said though, desperate times called for desperate measures.

He followed her further into the glade's private chambers, monolithic marble walls rising from the ground like they had been there before the earth had. Ral's lips pulled in disappointment as he looked up and realized all the rooms they passed through were roofless. Being able to see Vitu-Ghazi was nice and all, he supposed, but he'd noticed thopters in Ravnica's sky more than usual, and paranoia told him they were spies.

When they came to a stop in a small, square room with a tree growing into it from outside, they stopped and Emmara gestured for him to take a seat under it's hanging branches. While she set to work preparing the ritual, he tried his hand at raising a few enchantments to discourage scrying of any sort. In the most mundane variation of wishing Jace were here, Ral lamented that Jace was better with illusions and interacting with scrying. He would've had a lot more faith in Jace's protections.

Emmara noticed his spellwork but said nothing, carrying on like this was a normal communion. It took some time to set it up, longer than it took Ral to cast the novice enchantments he wielded, and he took a seat where she'd requested once he was finished. Sitting on her legs in front of him once the room glowed softly with power, she furtively murmured," Did you really want to commune?"

"Do we speak during it?"

She tilted her head this way and that, implying _more or less_. "If we perform it, your soul sings directly to the heart of Vitu-Ghazi itself."

Shoulders tensing defensively at the thought, Ral asked," Wait, you mean like the chorus in your head you're always babbling about?"

This drew a gaze of steel, and she coldly said," Yes. The chorus I babble about."

"I thought you said this was confidential. Isn't that, like, broadcast even to your weirds?"

"Our _elementals_ can hear the holy chord like us, yes, but this is different. This is a private melody, for Mat'Selesnya Herself, that only I'm privy to," Emmara said with a gentle shake of her head. Her eyes grew conflicted as she seemed to debate whether to say something more. With a sigh and sidelong glance, her voice fell to a whisper as she admitted," And perhaps Trostani… but they've been dischoradant."

"What?" Ral may have never been a great practitioner of the Selesnya faith, but he knew enough to know that Trostani's whole deal was their unflappable order and single voice.

Her eyes involuntarily swept up to the open roof, the thought of _we're being watched_ making her feel stupid and guilty. Hurriedly, she whispered back," You can't tell anyone, Ral. You hear me? This isn't a joke or a chance to make fun of—"

"Krokt, Emmara. I'm not going to dis your guild with that. That's…" He could only imagine what that actually meant. Trostani was a being composed of three dryads who directed the Holy Chord for all of Selesnya. If they were out of sync, the whole guild had to be feeling it. It would be like the Izzet losing its firemind. His gut twisted just thinking about it.

"Yeah, I'll commune, so long as you can hear me," Ral decided, not liking how much they were saying out loud already. He braced himself for whatever nature mind magic would feel like and said," Let's get this over with."

"You have to be the least grateful recipient of this honor ever," Emmara said with a rueful sigh.

"Oh, yeah, no. I've dreamed of this my whole life. Talking to trees, baring my soul," Ral bit out a little sardonically, his hands beginning to grab his knees a bit too tight. His stomach was in his throat at the idea, honestly. He'd grown used to talking to Niv-Mizzet, but holding a discussion in such an outlandish fashion in front of a soul as old and wise as Mat'Selesnya… He didn't even fully understand what mystical nonsense he was getting himself into, which was upsetting enough as an observer of the sciences.

She fixed him with a hard to read expression, lips drawn flat before saying," Alright, you need to relax and focus on me. Listen for my song. Follow my breathing."

He hated being told to relax, and couldn't help but bristle. This was important though, and he nodded before sharply breathing in through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. As he began to breathe rhythmically, slowing down to her natural beat, he closed his eyes. Her delicate fingers rested on his temples, and a surge of alarm rose in him at the sudden contact.

"Sorry," he breathed out with a grimace, knowing she probably received a decent shock.

"I should have warned you," she murmured dismissively. "No harm done. I added an extra step to the ritual to cast a latent healing spell on myself… just in case I get struck by lightning or the like."

His lips quirked with amusement, and he nodded gently to himself. "Smart."

They were getting too distracted and she shook her head. "Let it go, back to breathing."

He sighed out," Right." Then, he reinvigorated his efforts and began to match her deep breathing once more.

She saw how his knuckles whitened and his hands were beginning to tremble, and she calmly said," There's nothing to fear." If he was scared, it would be too big of a hurdle to jump to establish such an intimate connection.

He scoffed and lied," I'm not afraid."

"I hope the Chord brings you peace, even if it's temporary," she said earnestly, seeing the pressure he must be under in how his shoulders tensed. He pouted, but said nothing and focused on matching her breathing even more determinedly.

It was hard for him to focus his mind, and had communicating with her in absolute privacy not been so paramount, he would have given up in frustration five minutes in. He persisted though, willing himself to hear a stupid song in his head.

Ral almost thought he made it up when he finally heard a soft note begin to become clear in his mind, but then it became a third buzzing in harmony. Tentatively, the harmony folded out into a subtle chord. Once he could hear it, it was all he could hear. He didn't understand how he was supposed to communicate like this, unable to hear his own thoughts as it nearly drowned out his sense of self.

He tried to open his eyes, fear at the absolute catching in his chest, but he saw nothing and realized even the blood-tinge of his eyelids was gone. The world had faded away from him completely.

A guiding bell-tone became clear as Ral began to panic, and he blindly reached out to it for safe harbor. Physical sensation was lost in this all-consuming connection. It took another handful of minutes, clinging to what he slowly realized was Emmara's note in the Holy Chorus, before Ral could even focus on the things he needed to tell Emmara.

_I have so much bad news_ , was all Ral _meant_ to convey, but as that thought tumbled out in formless mass, so did, _I'm scared and I'm hurt and all of Ravnica is in danger and I'm so overwhelmed_. The texture of the chorus shifted with his thoughts, becoming dissonant and shrieking, and Ral felt somewhere vaguely connected to his soul that his heart rate was soaring.

_Shh, one at a time_ , Emmara willed soothingly, the chorus once more dulcet and welcoming. Ral felt wrapped up by her note and isolated from the jarring mess of his own mind long enough to sort the order he should approach this ineffable dialogue. 

_All is one, and one is all. With order, we can see the pieces of the whole and the whole picture._ The Selesnyan cant that he had learned as a boy filled his mind, and he couldn't tell if he or Emmara was the source, but she surely guided him.

_Tezzeret is back on the board_ , Ral began; their conversation on her birthday, Jace's scars and how it felt to receive them, hours upon hours in his lab, looking in the mirror shirtless and grimacing at the pipe-wrench shape bruise forming over his ribs, fear and panic attacks—All the thoughts became manifest in the one statement, and embarrassment turned the chord sour for a long moment as it muddled with his fear.

Surprise had made her slow to shore up his spiralling thoughts, but she now offered a blanket over his fears to keep them from affecting the chord further. _Jace told me he was taken care of. I thought he meant dead._

_Jace had hoped he was dead, but Tezzeret has those in high places interested in him._

A picture of Nicol Bolas rose to the center of his mind, and he wasn't quite sure if she'd seen it, but he had more to fill in before he got to that particular problem. Hesitantly, Ral privately begged forgiveness and divulged, _Ravnica isn't the only plane of existence_ —Zendikar and Innistrad came to mind— _and Jace and I can travel to those other worlds._

Disbelief rose but was shattered instantly as Emmara took this in, and the disbelief was replaced with a wounded thought that they hadn't trusted her. He tried but failed to hide that she had known once, and that brought a whole host of uncomfortable thoughts forward. _I told you once—during the maze—to hurt Jace. To drive a wedge between you two so I could win_ , he confessed, _and you asked him to make you forget._

Ral tried to rein it in, but couldn't get away withholding information in this alien style of communication. He guiltily thought if Jace could hear all of this, he would be heartbroken at his secrets being spilled so easily. That brought forth the next item on the list of problems. 

_Jace is gone, has been missing, on other planes of existence for some time now._ The horror of Amonkhet broke through the floodgates of his mind, and even Emmara's tone went sharp with dread as recounted the undead, the recent death, the feeling of loss, how Jace's aether trail had been missing, Nicol Bolas's idle threats and serious promises.

_That's why the Guildmeet was cancelled, why he hasn't answered any of my messengers?_

_Jace… The Guildpact is still in effect. He must be alive, wherever he is._ He had to believe so, anyway, to keep going forward.

Her note of the chorus was overwhelming as she processed all he had shared, and the chord became fuzzy in his mind, the tones unfocused and flat, a sound akin to bees in the back of his brain. It smoothed out, back to its constant tone as she asked, _So what is our plan? To save Jace? To save Ravnica? To protect you?_ her questions were overlaid together like the same chord being played across several octaves, and it made Ral as dizzy as it made him feel cared for.

Knowing of the abuse he was suffering and the pain he was soldiering through, Emmara wanted to know how she could keep him safe and help him heal. Just that sentiment alone, which he had logically known she held but only now felt in such an actualized way, made his heart warm with its mellifluous support.

_Niv-Mizzet and I are working on a plan, but first we need power. Enough so that we can hope to stand up to an elder dragon._

_The maze, its leylines_ , she realized, echoing his thoughts as he managed to find order enough to send them.

_We need to bridge the guildgates once more, but without Jace, we have no Guildpact to back us up. It would take too long to formally acquire territory, so we plan to use the current lack of hieromancy to build Izzet property through non-Izzet turf._

Her mind was more methodical than he would have given her credit for, and the order was beginning to hold his concentration together enough that he could better communicate. Sing more clearly.

_No Guildpact means we are also on our own to convince the guilds to work together._ Ral wasn't even sure whose thought that was originally, nor did he know the source of the next that rang in their shared experience. _And we need to be careful in sharing why we need this power source, with surveillance such an issue as it is._

Neither knew exactly how Bolas was getting his information, but the intel network had to be immense or at the very least, efficient.

_To secure the Selesnya guildgate, you'd need the support of a high-ranking member, for a task that Trostani could not accomplish through guild members._

_I'm assuming someone so trusted as to commune with the heart of all of Selesnya is high-ranking enough?_

_Yes, but…_

The current discord between Trostani echoed in Emmara's thoughts, the chord becoming an open fifth and leaving Ral feeling uncentered. Feeling his uncertainty at the shift, she allayed her current thought and drove her tone to fill the missing third in the chord. _It is almost as bad before Trostani reconnected us to Her love. My power is waning and now I find out that our… our plane of existence… that Ravnica is in peril once more._

_What is causing their discord?_

_They are practically frozen in this state, unable to command nor ask for help_ , she revealed more candidly than she would have with any non-guild member save Jace. No one could quite decipher what their argument even was, only could see how it weakened their guild-given magic and strained their spells.

_A vacuum of power needs to be filled. We can't have Selesnya of all the guilds fail to stick together when the plane is about to be wiped out of existence!_

Emmara found herself a tad resentful as she reminded, _They were the Guild with the least support for the Implicit Maze._ Why did her guild insist on leaving her when their solidarity was most required?

He remembered the first time he met Emmara, as brief as it was. Where the other maze runners had crowds, support in the form of soldiers and casters, Emmara had emerged from the crowds alone and quietly. While she had spoken with confidence as she stated her name and guild, he could remember his blithely amused thought that she stood no chance as he recorded her entry. 

_I wasn't alone then_ , she corrected as she saw his conceited smirk from the day of the maze once more in her mind. She shared how Jace had reached out to her, how she'd concealed any expression at his mental conversation, just before Ral had delivered the "rules" of the race. Jace had led her from the center of the promenade, and protected her from further harm as smoke had coiled from her close and personal demonstration of Ral's power.

Now she felt alone as she was forced to understand how miniscule she was in the face of the multiverse without even her guild to support her as she realized a looming, extraplanar threat wanted to destroy her home.

_You're not alone this end-of-the-world either_ , Ral refuted. The chord swelled in strength, loud enough now that Ral couldn't help but think of his Izzet training that warned of hearing loss. With confidence, he promised, _This time I'm on your side. We will beat Nicol Bolas and Tezzeret. Niv-Mizzet has already begun planning how to defeat him, and he's assigned his best guild member to devise an array to power our defense. If Trostani can't lead the Selesnya to assist Ravnica in her hour of need, I need you to._

_You make it sound so simple_ , she mused.

_Because I've gotten to know you. I know you can do it_ , he brushed off, a little embarrassed by his own sincerity. He couldn't hide it in this connection that emboldened life, order, and harmony. Nor could he hide fear of Ravnica's fate should they fail.

_I will succeed Trostani, for now_ , the insurgent declaration making Emmara uncomfortable though she resolved it necessary. _And you will have the weight of the Selesnya behind you as we fight Tezzeret and his master, Bolas._

**Children of the Lattice of Life, I speak to you in this time of need.**

Both minds that shared the Chord realized how small they were before the Chord as it now was. Mat'Selesnya Herself spoke to them, Her will filling every note conceivable in an ineffable sound of interwoven might.

**I cannot promise your intact being, but I will see you through this trial so you may bring peace to Ravnica once more.**

Of course as a devout believer, she had always known that communion linked her mind with Mat'Selesnya even more deeply than the ever-present Holy Chord. She had known that Trostani's words were Mat'Selesnya's will made physical and known. Mat'Selesnya lived and breathed life into every being on Ravnica.

To hear Her direct will, delivered to her core and in support of her plan, made Emmara feel as small as she did to think she was only a single elf among an unlimited number of planes, as well as immense as Vitu-Ghazi in what she could accomplish and who she could help.

**Waken now for those you fear do not wait.**

Ral could feel a breeze on his face as his awareness was shunted from the connection, chilling the tears that streamed down his face. He felt like he'd taken three straight shifts in the Boilerworks, his ears ringing and sounds that should be present missing from the world.

Emmara's fingers dropped from his head, resting on his shoulders. His eyes blearily opened, taking in her visage haloed by natural light and sympathy. One hand rose and clasped his cheek and her thumb passed over his salt-stained skin. "I'm so sorry, Ral," she said softly. "That is…"

With a bitter smile, she corrected herself. "That _was_ so much to go through alone."

As she pulled him near lightly, he melted into her embrace thankfully. She held his head and waist, his capacitor obstructing his back, as she whispered," You're not alone either."

Emmara held him close as he sat in stunned silence, tears falling freely. Communion was overwhelming in general, and that had been the most intense communion she'd ever partaken in. She squeezed him soothingly, willing away his fears and pain. She hadn't known what kept him away, and had attributed it to him being easily distracted. Now she knew of his heartache and wished she could cure it as simply as a broken bone.

With a bracing inhale, Ral pulled himself away some minutes later. "I would love to stay and chat, but I believe you have guild business to attend to," he said, running the heels of his palms over his tears and drying his nose on his sleeve. 

Emmara laughed with disbelief as she thought over just what kind of guild duties she had. She'd been high-ranking in the Selesnya before the Decamillenial, but being guild leader seemed asinine. "I suppose I do," she agreed with an overwhelmed sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a delay on this one... such is life. Personal venting below, feel free to skip to the last sentence.
> 
> I had to move out quite suddenly after my partner of several years and I split Tuesday night. My cats and I were unbelievably fortunate to be able to coordinate moving into a friend's place around midnight, which is where I guess I am spending the rest of quarantine. I'm without a vehicle, but I have to still make that buck to pay off medical bills and whatnot, so I have around 5 hours of commute a day for a M-F job... I've been in a mental fog this entire week, stressed to the point of being physically unwell, and settling into a new home with some anxious cats. I'm truly quite lucky to have a friend who not only took me in, but sees to my cats while I'm gone every day (for around 14 hours T.T).
> 
> My life is on the mend, as much as it is immediately stressful. The relationship wasn't sustainable, and I knew it was unhealthy, but having broken free... while my day in day out is so stressful right now, I feel hope and happiness like I haven't for months. Please don't ask any direct questions about my situation in the comments, though I'm happy to answer in DMs on Twitter. Would also appreciate Twitter DMs of pictures of your pets. The dog we got together was in my partner's name on all the documentation, so I couldn't take her with me. My heart aches and it's hard to sleep, though at least I know my ex loves her and will treat her well.
> 
> Apologies if this chapter is a bit rough, but I wanted to end on a definite upswing for the characters before I go on any sort of hiatus. 
> 
> Right now, I believe I'm going to try a two week hiatus, posting chapter 25 on June 10th and resuming my Wednesday posting from there.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight TW for uncomfortable depictions of insects/insect adjacent sensations near the end of the chapter.
> 
> Because I was on hiatus, I did not alter my upload schedule in the wake of #blackout and related events, but I am a firm supporter of Black Lives Matter, and I urge every reader to help out in some way. If you cannot afford to donate to charities, please consider taking an hour out of your day to sign petitions, including the petitions gathered in these threads:
> 
> https://twitter.com/_courttnneeyy/status/1271125322080022528
> 
> https://twitter.com/defnceles/status/1268721489278312448
> 
> https://twitter.com/tpwkdaya/status/1269362442087182336
> 
> First pride was a riot. I need to repay the favor and amplify black voices after so many black voices have lifted my rights to public focus.
> 
> At this time, I plan to resume posting on Wednesdays.

Visions typically assaulted him one at a time, he thought with no small amount of pique. A woman with short, brown hair was insisting he set aside time for tasks that meant nothing to him. Who _cared_ about mediation when there were no other real people in all of existence, as far as he understood it? He cared about making a fire after his failed attempt two days ago.

"If you want a fire," a man with unkempt hair offered," I could easily start one."

"I wish you could easily disappear," he muttered bitterly back to the vision. He didn't like the flutter in his stomach that had started when this vision appeared. The man already resented being crazy and subject to hallucinations, but this particular figment of his imagination had his stomach somersaulting.

"You're not entirely far off," the vision said at that, busying himself with checking out one of the machines he wore.

The man longingly thought it would be nice if he'd brought any kind of tool with him before finding himself lost on this island.

"Strong emotions lend themselves well to fire," the vision explained," I could write up some equations if they would help."

This vision spoke like there was some fuel he should have readily on hand, like binding together and crafting the world as he wanted was as easy as cupping his hands and scooping some of the ocean water up to observe. He sighed as the scruffy man began talking about chemical composition and incandescence. While interesting, it wasn't particularly helpful right now.

"I can have him removed if he's bothering you," the vision with orderly hair offered, her platemale shining as she took an attentive stance.

With umbrage, the other vision protested," Now wait just a minute! I'm trying to help him start a fire."

"If either of you could actually help," the man muttered," I might actually listen to what you had to say." 

He gathered more tinder, peeling bark from felled trees and wincing at the way his palms got cut up from the effort. Not for the first time, he wondered how his hands could be so soft when he found himself so unfortified on an island that could easily kill him.

Like he hadn't spoken, the two figments of his imagination bickered together. The woman's voice was audibly scrambled as she called his attention—a name? a title?—and she highlighted what her conversational opponent had just said," He's right. Work smarter, not harder. You're not applying yourself."

His brow furrowed as he wondered what they wanted of him.

"You need to be able to apply pressure downwards to maximize friction." 

Looking down at the long, thin piece of bark he'd peeled, his brain began to percolate with solutions. He could free up a hand if he used a bowed stick and a cord of some sort, then press down with a stone to protect his hand. The times he'd tried to start a fire just by rubbing the stick had been drawn out feuds of how long he could muster rolling the stick between his hands and which would start fire first: the board or his hands. So far, he was going to consider it a draw since he hadn't managed more than a wisp of smoke.

It took him an hour to fashion a proper bow. The first attempt, he'd used some of the dry wood he'd already collected, and it had snapped under the pressure. When he used a greener stick, the vine he'd found was too weak and shredded.

His visions faded over the time he spent trying to fashion a bow, for which he was conflicted. A familiar habit of bouncing ideas had felt welcome, as annoying as the setup had been, and now the waves of the ocean felt oppressive in their rhythmic repetition that offered no interesting facts. The woman had seemed genuinely, if brusquely, concerned for him unlike another woman he'd dreamed up with a cloud of dark hair and piercing, violet eyes.

He'd ended up sacrificing a long, torn off piece of the cloak he'd woken up with to finish a good fire bow, and though it took the sun falling from nearly its highest in the sky to resting on a far off mountain to signal another incoming night, he was able to craft a small fire protected by stones.

He wasn't surprised anymore as his imagination crafted the man with streaks of white through his longer hair. The other didn't have anything to say this time, busy eating a fish unlike any he'd seen from the shores. The fish was speared, and he wondered if he could spear a fish like that in the shallows.

For starters, he'd need a spear.

Looking away from the stranger eating—only making his stomach whine in envy—he looked to the stars and figured that could be tomorrow's project: make a spear, or rather first craft a tool he could make a spear with. 

Sighing as he laid out his cloak as a bed roll, he mused over heavy thoughts. There had to be more to the world than this island, but how could explore it when starting a simple fire that threatened to die took him the better part of a day?

It didn't take long for his cloak to become wet, the ground beneath him soggy and air humid. It was uncomfortable, but ever so slightly better than sleeping directly on the beach. When fire and food were something he could take for granted, he'd build a platform to sleep on. Projects kept piling up, which reminded him of something the woman with short hair had said, but focus as he might, he couldn't remember what sort of job he'd ever held in his prior life. What projects would have piled up then?

There was so much he didn't know, and yet he missed what he couldn't remember. He longingly looked into his fire's weak flames and fed it fuel, desperately hoping it wouldn't go out while he slept.

~~  
~~

It wasn't a popular choice by the new guild leader to allow the Izzet into their territory, but Emmara made it happen as she'd promised. 

It would have almost felt fantastic to be back in the field, leading the largest crew of goblins he'd ever been granted, building on old success with the Firemind's personal assistance. Without reminding himself just who he was truly working for right now, it would have been so easy to be swept up in the euphoria of seeing one's schematics come to life.

Elementals helped his crew and ensured that they didn't needlessly uproot any greenery as they began placing mizzium beams and molding them in complex arcs and circuits.

The price for Selesnya's cooperation had been steep, but granted by Niv-Mizzet when Ral made his case. Nicol Bolas was getting impatient if Tezzeret's more frequent outbursts were anything to go by, and they needed to make progress. The Izzet League didn't shut down production for anything, especially tree-loving nature cults, but with fire on his breath and gleaming eyes, Niv-Mizzet had accepted the Selesnya's terms and granted the Izzet would _temporarily_ delay expansion near Vitar Yescu, the Selesnyan seat of power in Utvara.

It may have been the single most diplomatic concession the Izzet League had made in all its proud, arrogant history, which only drew to focus how dire Ravnica's future was close to being for the dracogenius to allow such forfeiture. 

"Greetings, Head Researcher Zarek," Emmara greeted as she approached from behind. Looking over his shoulder casually, Ral smiled and called back a curt hello. 

Her eyes had always been curious, pale and intimidating in the right light, but now they glowed with power bestowed by Mat'Selesnya Herself, reflecting the golden halo of incorporeal leaves that faintly hung about Emmara. The half-real leaves twirled languidly, like there was a soft breeze only for Emmara. 

Her mastery over elementals had previously been impressive, but as he scanned over just how many she was controlling to work alongside his goblin crew, he deeply appreciated the boost in power she'd been granted.

Emmara walked up beside him and the smell of coffee graced his nose. He realized she held two mugs, holding out one for him.

"You're a lifesaver," he murmured almost reverently, accepting the gifted coffee.

"Working too long of hours in the lab again?" she pleasantly asked, though they both knew she was really inquiring if he needed healing.

"Living and breathing lab work as always," he said with a shrug, letting her know it was manageable for now. "No big deal."

A tension he hadn't initially noted in her shoulders faded with relief, and he smiled sadly at the care and concern. She had enough on her plate as recently ascended guildmaster, he didn't need to be adding to her list of worries.

"I'm still impressed you were able to convince His Firemind to cease production," she whispered. It wasn't secret, but it hadn't been quite flaunted yet either.

"Well, he isn't happy about it, but you only asked for one hundred years. That has to seem like a handful of boring days to the old lizard," Ral muttered, rubbing his temple from the residual exhaustion that argument had left in his connection to the firemind.

"Still, it's unprecedented." She looked to him with pride. 

With a playful smirk, he argued," So is the Selesnya openly trading with the Izzet. Even as Cantor of the Chorus, that was a big swing." It was also a risky play since they were circumventing the official paperwork. It was on word alone, which Ral intended to enforce as long as he could with his short human lifespan.

"The time for fear and suspicion is over. If I must lead Her people, it will be through a dawning of trust. Our camaraderie must extend past guild divisions if we are to bring peace to all."

She held out her slim hand and he shook it, feeling optimistic for the future of Ravnica. If he could strike such solidarity with half the guilds, Nicol Bolas would have another thing coming.

"Hopefully my delegation with the Golgari goes so smoothly," Ral commented, then took a large sip of coffee. Nose wrinkling at the thought, he shared," I have to head to Korozda in an hour or two."

"Best of luck," Emmara wished. "You know you have my ear if you need it."

Ral nodded with a mixture of determination and gratitude. 

~~  
~~

With an entourage of hunters escorting Ral, he made his way to the Maze of Decay, his boots and pants soaked with fetid water and his tunic stained with what he hoped was just fungal growth. He may have hated diplomacy, but he was pretty decent at it, and it rubbed him the wrong way that he couldn't place the division of the guards watching him.

They weren't grave-trolls, though necromantic energy emanated from them in waves strong enough to evoke nausea if Ral didn't focus on his goal. They weren't Devkarin despite being elves. It had been a long time since he came down to the Maze of Decay, but reports he'd read recently reported the personal attendants of Jarad to be Cilia, Devkarin rogue elites.

"What do you wish to ask of the Swarm today, little boffin?"

Ral stood outside the gates to Korozda, staring up at the hanging castle he knew to be Penvar. The voice he heard seemed to come from the castle, but also the moss below him and the mouths of the rotting elves behind him. His head hurt as he tried to reconcile what was the truth, and as he pulled on the firemind's protection, his mind burned out the layers of mind magic affecting him.

The elves behind him were dressed in clothing that bore a stately presence but was so far out of recent fashion trends, he doubted they were from this millenium. Looking forward once more, he now saw an insectoid creature taller than himself.

"I came here on a peaceful mission," Ral ground out, holding his head at the brewing migraine that was guarding his psyche from their magic. "Why are you…"

"Who ever heard of a peaceful Izzet delegation?"

Okay, that was fair. The last time he had been this deep in the Undercity, he'd been running the maze and not looking to make friends, and the time before that he may have eradicated a Golgari patrol along with a decent number of his own by tapping into the raw power of the mana coils hooked directly into the leyline they'd been searching for…

More of the same cryptic voice spoke, overlaying the chittering of the insect before him, and Ral felt the mind magic was receding to only translate their words. He kept the firemind ready to protect him, but lowered it slightly so he may better understand what they were saying. "The Golgari are very busy at this time, so it is unlikely we can help you, but we will hear what you have to say."

"Thank you," Ral said, feeling only more certain he'd walked into a trap. "Is His Lich-Lord Jarad or Guildwarrior Varolz available?"

Intense ire left the insect as they replied," You speak in Korozda. Your words are heard by those who matter."

"I meant no offense," Ral said, raising his hands defensively. "I simply hoped to speak to someone I have political history with in such an important request as I've come to make or trade for."

"You may speak your request here, and if it is approved, you will be told by those present."

Ral frowned at this, but didn't like his odds of survival if he denied their words. Worst case scenario, he supposed, was they didn't truly speak for the guild and the Izzet were accused of trespassing again. He could live with that if it meant his mizzium tracks were laid. The Golgari would have a hard time dismantling them before the Izzet gained the power of the leylines so long as he could keep the power redirection project moving.

"We are designing a large project to bring a new age of innovation to Ravnica," he began, using the official project he was partnered with Tezzeret on as a pretense. "And to bring this prosperity to everyone, we must direct the Golgari leylines as we did during the Dragon's Maze."

Hoping it would leave as favorable an impression as it was surprising, Ral added," We've already struck an accord with the Selesnya."

"Quite impressive," the insect said, sounding quite underwhelmed. "All at the bidding of a dragon, I presume?"

"Of course," Ral said with a bitter chuckle. "When isn't an Izzet matter at the behest of a dragon?"

A sensation like spiders crawling up his spine made Ral want to charge the air with enough electricity to kill a wurm, but he gleaned it an effort to read his veracity and uncomfortably stood tall and kept his eyes on the insect clearly in charge. His lips pressed tight and his brow wrinkled in discomfort; Ral waited through the phantom scuttling, hoping tears weren't gathering in his eyes.

"The Golgari recognizes your aim. Garnering a dragon's favor can be…a wise step towards one's goals," the insect decided, letting the silent investigation run several minutes and watching the Izzet delegate try not to squirm.

Ral's voice was high pitched as he asked," Really?" The sensation crawling through his back finally faded.

Clearing his throat and trying again, Ral continued," That's great. Will you grant us the ability to lay down mizzium trails over the leyline to and from your gate?"

Chittering rose from the shadows, and Ral felt like this was the part in a zino store horror novel where the protagonist was dragged away and never heard from again. Despite his sinking stomach, he waited patiently for the decision. 

"We will allow it."

"G-great," Ral said, uncertainty leaving the pit of his stomach a little hollow. "We will begin construction tomorrow."


	26. Chapter 26

"Hey, Malcolm," Jace began, looking up from the star charts that the man had graciously laid out to satiate his curiosity.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever played a game—I think it's supposed to imitate war—where there's a grid, and your pieces are confined to the grid in particular patterns?"

Jace watched as Malcolm raised a sextant to gauge the angular distance of a particularly notable star and the horizon, whispering some magic into the instrument. His feathers shined a little iridescently in the moonlight with his subtle movements. The navigator finished his work quickly then looked over to Jace like he'd asked something rather peculiar.

"A grid? One printed on the cards or…?"

"No, I don't think there were any cards," Jace said with a small shake of the head. He looked back down to the map that had inspired the question, wistfully dragging his fingers over the thin and precise lines that had inspired the question. With a bittersweet grin, Jace said," I can't even remember how it's played. Maybe it had cards. Couldn't have been that important."

"If it's games you're interested in, you should ask Breeches," Malcolm said with a chuckle. "He knows more games you can get in debt over than there are stars in the sky."

Jace couldn't help but laugh at the idea, mirroring Malcolm's cracked grin.

"Thanks, I'll ask him tomorrow," Jace said with a nod, happy to set direction for himself. He knew Malcolm was about at his limit for Jace's random questions—to be fair to Malcolm, he'd asked questions for almost an hour regarding the stars yesterday, as well as spent nearly an hour tonight discussing seasonal patterns of weather along different coasts and the current body of thought on _why_ it was different in different harbors.

Jace had found his exuberance to learn more from all the crew was a bit overwhelming for most of his fellow pirates, and with some embarrassment, he knew that he'd only become so self-aware over the last week or two as he focused on—and failed at—not reading the minds around him that had become so vibrant as he came into his newly remembered powers. "I think I'll head to bed for the night."

"Good call. Looks like we'll need all hands on deck tomorrow. The chop should be fairly bad, and we're in for storms."

"Oh? What tells you that?"

"Jace," Malcolm said, his good natured smile a little strained. "I have to do my job. Why don't you get some rest?"

"Right, sorry," Jace said sheepishly as a wave of exhaustion rolled off the other. He focused on drowning out the crew's thoughts as they momentarily began to crescendo in the back of his mind.

Jace began to head to his hammock, but on his way to the forecastle, Jace hesitated and looked back towards the aft of the ship. There was a light on in the officer's quarters, and a sudden feeling in his gut told him that the only person aboard the _Belligerent_ who knew the game he was thinking about was the captain.

Quietly going below deck and preparing two cups of tea, Jace walked back to the quarters and cleared his throat loudly, then called quietly," Captain? I was wondering if you might like some tea."

Ever since that night Vraska confirmed he could read minds, told him of Ravnica, and placed her trust in him to share her painful history, Jace had felt a special kinship forged. They spoke differently when they talked alone, deep into the night, and he couldn't explain it, but it was refreshing.

"One moment."

Jace waited patiently, smiling as she answered the door. She accepted the tea with a heartfelt thanks and stepped back to make space for him to enter. Not too many people got to enter the personal quarters of the captain, and not for the first time, Jace felt a little undeserving of the honor. He loved talking to her too much to bring it up and jeopardize the opportunity though.

Sitting in her comfortable chair, Vraska gestured for him to join her at her desk. Jace sat as instructed and let the silence they often shared settle in. He seemed preoccupied as he sipped on his tea, and Vraska rested her chin on one hand and looked over him curiously. "What's on your mind?" 

"Just a half-remembered game. I tried to ask Malcolm about it, but I don't think he was familiar with it."

"Oh?"

His brow furrowed and his lips pulled off to the side as he tried to recall the flash of recognition he'd been struck by. "I was looking at his star maps, and the grid lines of one had me thinking of a game played—on a board, I think. I just… I was tracing a constellation, and the diagonal path just brought me back to playing this game."

Arching one brow, Vraska casually asked," You mean ' _chess_ '?"

As soon as he heard the word, it just _clicked_ , and Jace repeated it with a feeling of satisfaction.

"Malcolm wouldn't know it. I don't think it's made its way this far," Vraska said vaguely, rolling her eyes at how Jace had remembered something so fitting as chess when he hadn't even recalled his name or home.

"This far?"

"From Ravnica."

"Right," Jace said with a little sarcastic edge. "The impossibly large city that no one else has ever heard of."

Her tendrils flared and coiled on themselves with a touch of ire. "You're speaking to your captain, Jace." 

She regretted her choice of words as they left her mouth, Jace looking suddenly small like he used to slinking through life in his job as Guildpact. She had been taken aback to have someone speak so candidly to her, but now that she considered it, she didn't mind if Jace spoke to her with such familiarity.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck a little sheepishly. Glancing to her, he saw an amused curl to her lip and chuckled, a little relief filling his lungs that she wasn't upset with him. "Okay, so chess… How do you play?"

"Jace Beleren is asking _me_ how to play chess," Vraska muttered a little disbelievingly, her wry smirk reaching her eyes.

"Well, why not? It's a Ravnican game, isn't it?"

That was a complicated question for another planeswalker who cared more about charting the cultural bleed over the millenia. His eyes seemed so bright as he asked about this piece of presumed shared culture, that Vraska didn't have the heart to turn him down, and sitting back with a gentle laugh, she said," Sure, I can teach you chess. We'll need a board."

She put him in charge of drawing out an eight by eight grid and coloring it in to be checkered. Watching the seriousness he took to the assignment was so endearing, borrowing a ruler and making sure everything lined up _just so_.

Vraska cut thirty-two tokens out, scrawling hasty symbols and leaving half in outlines and filling in the other half. The assembly of the board and pieces didn't take all too long, but the explanation of it was a bit more cumbersome. Jace hung on her every word, a trait of her crew members she typically took comfort in. As Vraska began to explain, she found her passing familiarity with chess to be lacking, having played very little and certainly never having taught it to another before.

If he wasn't so enthusiastic, she would have found the uncomfortable territory to be too much, and would have cut off lessons. Yet, the smile that lit up his face ever so slightly as he contemplated his next move had her willing to make a fool of herself in something so trivial as a board game.

"Wait, can you do that?" Vraska asked as she watched him swap his king and rook so they stood between their starting places on opposite sides.

He stared down at the pieces with a haze of confusion, realizing as she asked him that he'd taken an action that she hadn't taught him. Jace had just been so swept up in taking his turn quickly that he'd done it without thinking over the rules she'd explained."Um, I just…"

"You probably can. I have to admit I don't know the rules well enough to say that you can't," Vraksa muttered, unaware of any special maneuvers, but certain that such a pretentious game as this had to have a few rules that specifically broke its own rules.

"I can take it back," Jace offered, afraid of cheating.

"No, that's okay I don't think I'm winning this game anyways."

Jace had tried to play slower after getting a checkmate on turn eight of the first game, but now they were on turn twenty-two, and he had to agree. He saw a victory in six turns if he stopped fooling around. He advanced a piece to threaten her king.

Vraska laughed suddenly, drawing Jace's attention, and he looked up a little bewildered. "Don't pull any punches. I saw that look on your face. You're trying not to win, aren't you?"

"I thought I was the mind reader," Jace joked, scratching his neck awkwardly at being called out.

"You're endearingly predictable sometimes," Vraska said, taking her turn to escape check.

"Am I?"

"Sometimes."

Cocking his head, he asked," How so?"

Vraska winced as he took out her second bishop. "You're sweet. You don't have to spare me from losing though. I can take it. Chess was never my type of game anyways."

A handful of turns more and they were resetting the board.

They were on their fourth game quickly enough, Jace having won the first and third games as easily as breathing despite having never played before today from his amnesiac perspective. It was a little frustrating, if Vraska was being honest, as she bumbled another play and had her rook toppled for nothing. Another few turns in, and Jace had earned another checkmate.

"I think I've had enough for tonight," Vraska said with a sigh as she conceded to his proud declaration.

Jace bit his lip as he looked up from the board and noticed how her tendrils coiled despite her trying to keep a neutral voice. Gaze dropping back to the board as he began to shuffle his pieces of paper to their proper beginning squares, Jace mumbled an apology.

"No, don't apologize," Vraska said with a curt shake of her head. "You should be proud of your strategic mind."

Jace blushed and shook his head a little jarringly, a tiny voice telling him he was unworthy of such an assessment.

"I mean it, Jace. You're not just a good friend and gifted mage. That brain of yours is talented. If I am going to trust you to be my strategist, you can't be afraid to show me up in matters of… well, chess."

Vraska was confident in leadership now. She'd wanted it for a long time, and while she'd made a few mistakes early on, she had found it not to just be a desire, but a need. Being in control felt natural, and she knew her crew trusted her to make hard decisions. With that trust, she could protect those important to her.

Just as she couldn't shy away from those decisions that had no easy answer, she couldn't have one of her brightest crew members hampering his own skills to nurse her ego. A good leader raised her followers up and exalted those she led for their specialties.

"Okay, what do you say one more game, and then you're going to explain to me how you keep winning so fast," Vraska said, looking Jace in the eye and grinning at how he perked up.

"I'll try," Jace said, unsure he could explain how he saw moves ahead when her turns seemed to be quite reactionary.

"That's all I ask."

They quietly set the board up once more, and Vraska paused before taking her turn. Fixing Jace with a stare—her heart still leaped as he returned her gaze unflinchingly—Vraska said," I will count on you to be my tactician someday, Jace. You have my full confidence, and I'll need you to act knowing that."

Swallowing a little thickly, Jace nodded at the responsibility, but felt his chest swell with pride. "Yes, Captain."

~~  
~~

Liliana had a feeling she'd find him sulking. She didn't take as much satisfaction in being right as she thought she would though. The festivities she'd left to come find Gideon were far from the most exciting; they still had to bury many dead the following day. 

That was her justification to herself for abandoning food and drink to seek out someone even more dour than the soldiers that had lost a friend only yesterday. 

He sat on a crudely crafted bench at the top of the small hill. The trail leading up was thin and precise, well traveled but only over the last few weeks by the footfalls of soldiers. Gideon sat alone on watch, and Liliana was certain he'd volunteered and requested no one else join him. 

"You should be celebrating," Liliana called gently as she approached. She didn't mean to startle him, but the mud concealed her footsteps as it squeezed through the broken seams of her leather boots. The silken leggings were beyond repair, and the fashionable boots were to be replaced by sturdy traveling boots as soon as she found a vendor. 

Gideon looked over his shoulder, having to pivot his torso to manage with how muscular his frame was. He tried to smile, but it left his face looking broken, and he quickly abandoned it. "You're not," he meagerly pointed out, scooting over so there was space to sit beside him. 

Liliana pursed her lips as she sat and crossed her legs, resting her folded hands on her knee with a sigh. "This… ' _victory_ ' is a bit messy for me."

"Right, sorry," Gideon apologized, looking genuinely guilty.

"It's a relief that it's over though," Liliana added, looking up at the sky and appreciating the gradient the sunset brought. There was a time in her long life she'd thought she may never once again see the sunset of her childhood. 

Silence sat coldly between them, the languid breeze too weak to offer even the rustling of leaves in the dead heat of Dominaria's evening.

Liliana knew what she'd say if she were trying to lure him to following her cause, but she was at a loss for what to say now. She didn't want to manipulate him, and worst of all, she didn't know why. Just months ago she'd taken delight in pulling at the strings of the Gatewatch, taking their oath so she may dig her claws into what made the collective click. 

Months ago seemed like years ago now. 

She was weary in a way she couldn't recall being. Enervation was familiar; plodding through tiresome patience to use someone over the course of a few years was familiar; commanding an undead army so vast that she couldn't see from one flank to the other was familiar. What currently constricted her heart and made breathing seem laborious was new to her. 

"Are you…" Liliana's words died in her throat and she bit her lip uncertainly. 

In the end, Gideon had a better idea of what she meant to ask than she did, and softly said," I'm still thinking over Ral's words." 

"Of course you are," Liliana dismissed with a shrug. "He attacked your virtuous nature and mentioned Jace." 

Her heart skipped a beat painfully as she said his name, and she wrinkled her nose at the thought she'd be so sentimental. 

Gideon looked over somberly, then averted his gaze once more and nodded. "I can't stop wondering if he's right. If I'm—What if he _is_ lost in the Multiverse and we abandoned him?" 

Tears gathered in his eyes, and he looked up so they didn't fall. The first stars were just beginning to become visible, and only made him feel worse as he thought of Ral alone on Ravnica—a plane with few clear stars to gaze to—and wondered if Jace had the ability to stargaze somewhere out in the Multiverse. 

"We had no way to track him. I was the last to leave, and I didn't feel his aether trail. I've known him for a long time. I would have been able to at least sense it had there been one," Liliana said with cold practicality. 

"So you're saying he's…" Gideon couldn't say it, and choked up. 

Liliana lacked conviction as she awkwardly offered," Nicol Bolas is a strong mind mage in his own right. He could have clouded my senses." 

They briefly made eye contact, and Gideon hummed to himself softly. "But you don't think so."

"I—" Liliana cut herself off and shook her head gently. She didn't want to confirm her fear aloud. She didn't want to erase the doubt that still lingered. Icily, she snapped," What would it change?" 

"I don't know if he'd want me to finish what we started or go looking for him." Gideon's words were thick and he had to clear his throat before he could finish. "If he is out there, why hasn't he come back? Maybe Ral was right and he's making his way to Ravnica."

Liliana anxiously switched her top leg, then recrossed them back again. It was hard to say what Jace would do—what he would want in a situation like this. They didn't even know if he was dead or alive, and if he was alive, how much of him was left after being scrambled by Bolas. 

Four years ago, Jace had promised they'd travel the Multiverse together and left her. A few months ago, that fact had infuriated her to the point of idle pettiness. Shortly after that, he'd managed to talk three other very different people into forming an alliance to defeat interplanar threats, roped her into it, and been so committed that he faced his likely demise against an enemy that truly frightened him, trying to rally them all to his last breath on Amonkhet. 

The Jace she was mourning was a very different man from the boy she'd met before the Infinite Consortium's fall. Busying herself with checking her nails, Liliana raised one eyebrow as she asked," What do _you_ want?" 

"I want to fight Bolas, obviously. I want to end his tyranny," Gideon said with a flustered energy to his words as he held his hands up and stared at the broad palms that had failed him—failed the Gatewatch; failed Jace. 

Liliana narrowed her eyes, thinking Gideon was saying what he wanted done rather than what she wanted to do. She was afraid to dissuade him from helping her defeat Belzenlok, so she held her breath and waited for him to say something more. 

He didn't disappoint. 

"I want to help free you from your contract."

Liliana let out a soft sigh of relief, but asked," Are you sure?" 

"We couldn't defeat Bolas with five of us, we sure won't with just the two of us if we rush in without changing anything."

"Well, you're right," Liliana said stiffly, standing up and stretching lithely. "And moping about won't change anything either. There's spiced wine and song back at camp."

His voice was dry and focused as he declined. "I should really—"

"After the hard work you've put in today, we can send some other soldier to keep watch," Liliana interrupted him, adding a dismissive wave of her hand and one shoulder shrug. Her words were rallying, but biting in their delivery, trampling over his meager resistance with a bully's finesse.

She held a pale hand towards him, though the idea that she could assist him to his feet with how slight she was was a little humorous. He took it regardless, and hefted himself to his feet begrudgingly.

"There you go," she said encouragingly. "Time to go dance."

She liked to dance. Liliana always had, from when she sat high and mighty in her manor on Innistrad, to when she lived in the slums of Avaric on Ravnica. Even with her boots run-ragged from the paved streets of Kaladesh, the rough sandstone of Amonkhet, and the murky trails of Dominaria, the thought of dancing brought a genuine smile to her typically sarcastic expression. 

Despite having come face to face with a dread shade and lich-lord and shrugging it off earlier in the day, Gideon took a step away with a look of true terror. He shook his head and stuttered," Sorry, I don't dance."

She reached forward and took his bicep in her arms, tugging him in the direction of camp as she whined," Come on, Gideon. I haven't gotten to dance to this music since I was a child! I need a partner. You _have_ to dance with me." Liliana had no trouble wielding the tragic backstory he already knew if it meant she'd get what she wanted.

Gideon let himself be dragged, still pouting at the proposal. As he stumbled after her, he tried to explain once more. "You don't want me as your partner. I've never been taught to—"

"I let you tutor me in the way of daggers; now you have to let me teach you to dance," Liliana spun determinedly, grinning as she could start to hear the brassy horn that southern Benalia was known for.

Gideon found it hard to object to that line of reasoning, and he found it harder still to object as a mug of spiced wine was placed in his hand and Liliana crashed her own mug into his for a sloppy cheers. She was a good actor, he knew, but he could see the exhaustion sitting as heavy bags under her eyes and the forced smile she bore as she pulled him to a circle of dancers. He didn't believe she could portray such true weariness, nor finding such desperately needed relief in giving in to dancing.

Stomach in his throat, he let her pull him into the circle and twirl him about, nervous to make a fool of himself dancing, but happy to hear a peal of Liliana's laughter even if it was at his expense. Despite his unease in dancing, Gideon tried his best to match the steps and said nothing as she walked over his feet in her impatience to continue the line that everyone else was. 

She seemed to be having fun, he thought with a buzz of warm alcohol and a content grin on his face.

He found after a second cup of wine and the somewhat-forced dancing, he felt better himself too.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great news!! I got a job that I can actually commute to reliably, and I started today! I am currently so exhausted since I had very little notice to get enough sleep beforehand, but my first day went really well. Next chapter should be on schedule. I'm really excited for this segment of the story we've entered!

"I can't grant you an audience with Supreme Judge Isperia," Lavinia said matter of factly, focusing her narrowed eyes on the coffee in her hands. Ral and she sat in a guildless coffee shop, wearing what could pass for guildless apparel, but she still sat with the stiffness of a Lyev initiate and he wore all of his mizzium gear, so she didn't know what Ral hoped to accomplish.

"But you're the maze runner," Ral sputtered, trying and failing to keep his voice down. "You were handpicked by Isperia herself, weren't you?"

Lavinia tilted her head in a manner to convey, _sort of_ , which clearly drew Ral's curiosity. It had been by the suggestion of Kavin, an unaligned mage associated with Jace, and his involvement had never sat well with her. "But her ear is drawn by someone new," Lavinia said. She raised one eyebrow and flatly added," Someone like you, actually, with a spark of genius."

Ral's brow furrowed at this, reading between the lines. A planeswalker was vying for control of the Azorius? Were they behind the spy network that Ral had been tiptoeing around? 

Sipping his coffee as he thought this over, Ral finally asked," And what can you tell me about this kindred soul?"

"I've been pushed out of many meetings," Lavinia said tensely," so I've never met with him at the Senate. He must be from Simic origins, a vedalken with six fingers on each hand."

 _Further support that he was a planeswalker_ , Ral took this to mean.

Raising her weary eyes to Ral, she added," I actually introduced him to Gideon once, around the time Jace took Liliana to dinner."

"What?" That critical detail had Ral's head spinning as he tried to piece together what it meant. A planeswalker that she'd introduced to the Gatewatch… but the time she referenced was a blur in his head. He'd been so worried about Jace, so tired and terrified, it was hard to jog specific details on the time just before Liliana came back and spirited Jace away to Kaladesh.

Oh, Kaladesh… The man Gideon had agreed to meet so he could go to Emmara's home was of Kaladeshi origin, wasn't he? That would explain the new thopter presence in the air, and now that Ral thought about it, he felt silly for not putting it together sooner. The thopters had clearly not been of Izzet origin, but they had been developed by someone who knew artifice construction well.

An interloper from Kaladesh had Isperia's ear… Tezzeret had spent some undisclosed time on Kaladesh, so it stood to reason that another planeswalker from the plane was also bowing to Bolas's whims.

"No thanks to your guild's help, I'm progressing well in my assignment from Niv-Mizzet," Ral said with the bitterness that should have accompanied such a statement, but the cast in his eyes wasn't vitriolic so much as panicked. "We should be finishing sooner than later. I can't wait to have my schedule back to normal."

"Ready to be done with extra research time so soon? I thought you said you missed out too much with your seat at Guildmeets."

Lavinia played along well, and Ral found a true smile pulling at his lips. "Yeah, well, my current research isn't my own, you know? A dragon breathing down your neck is no way to spend every day."

As he said that, he realized the ramifications of what she'd shared. Lavinia may not be able to grant him an audience with Isperia, but if the Kaladeshi planeswalker was pulling Azorius strings on Bolas's behalf, he would allow Ral's project easily. Bolas would instruct him to let Ral expand as he pleased if it were for Niv-Mizzet's project, which Bolas assumed he was in full control of.

"No, I imagine not," Lavinia said, her words a little stilted as she tried to figure out how to cover what she wanted to say next.

"Well, I know where to forge my next connection," Ral said, imparting that reaching out to the Azorius was taken care of for the time being. He leaned back and looked out the window as some thopters passed by, narrowing his eyes at the intrusive network.

"Really?"

He didn't know how to tell her what they were truly up against. All she knew was that Niv-Mizzet was being led by a newcomer, similar to Isperia, since it had been so long since they had exchanged notes. She didn't know the connection she'd revealed of the new planeswalker to Nicol Bolas, nor did she even know that Nicol Bolas was the true threat if she knew of his existence at all.

"Yeah, it sounds like Isperia's right hand man and I will be on the same page. Geniuses and all that," Ral said with a sidelong glance. "I'd say I have to figure out how to reach the Dimir, but that's a joke. Really, the next hiccup should be the Gruul."

"You could save yourself a lot of trouble by just assembling a Guildmeet," Lavinia suggested. Her face grew pinched as she muttered," I know there hasn't been one in over two months, but…"

She didn't know if Jace was alive, Ral realized. He slid a hand across the table for her to take if she needed the support. She had been dealing with loss too, and they had been forced from depending on each other for support because of surveillance. When she took his calloused hand, he squeezed sympathetically and said," There will be again."

Lavinia raised her eyes to his doubtfully, but he held firm conviction. Niv-Mizzet had pointed out that the Guildpact was still intact, even if it was weaker right now. Jace was out there somewhere, he knew it. When Nicol Bolas had been thwarted, he could go find him. Lavinia would see her friend again.

A solemn smile came to her face, and she said," Hopefully sooner than later."

Was Lavinia simply saying it would be nice if Jace came back soon, or was she trying to impart something more? His forehead wrinkled as he tried to see through her words, and she nodded.

A secret Guildmeet?

"We should get lunch again, sometime," she said a little too dispassionately to sell that she was talking as a friend. "Have you ever been to Gilded Glasses?"

"It's been awhile," Ral said, though he'd never been. He knew of it from his many walks mapping the inner city, and found an Orzhov bar to be an interesting choice of locale for a secret Guildmeet. He clumsily dismissed," I'm not a fan of live music."

"I should take you on a slow day, then," Lavinia said. "You really do need to try their kholodets."

He tapped her palm to bring attention to her hand before saying," Sorry…" He let the apology drag in the air a little too long as he burned a date into the soft flesh of her palm. To her credit, she didn't even blink, though her lower lids grew taught at the pain.

"I'm just really not a wine guy," he finished with a shake of the head. He let go of her hand, and guiltily watched as she withdrew and grabbed it tightly with her other hand. The hands were one of the worst places to get a burn, maybe second only to the feet.

"They have other drinks too," she said, but gave a prescribed sigh of resignation, and asked," How about hitting the Greenbelt and finding a park bench?"

"I could do that tomorrow," he said with a nod. "I've been craving pirozhki actually."

"Good," she said, then finished her coffee. "I'll meet you by the Marbled Steps tomorrow. One PM sharp."

"Look forward to it. I'll be on time, promise."

"No you won't," she said with a very real roll of the eyes and the closest thing to a genuine smirk they'd shared the whole meeting.

Ral shrugged and said," I'll aim for one-thirty."

~~  
~~

Jace's planeswalk to Dominaria had not gone at all like he thought it would, both in the skill it took to stick the landing, nor in the meeting as he appeared near Gideon.

As the older woman got between them and asked who the bookworm was, Jace found himself annoyed. Glaring at her interruption in what was a touching moment, he looked her up and down once and decided to extract who exactly thought they could get in between him and his boyfriend's reunion. 

Fire flared around her, and she clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Been around plenty of mages, Tolarian and the like, in my day. You want information, you ask for it with your words around me." 

Jace was stunned at her casual dismissal of his magic, not feeling the magic he would have typically associated with what she had accomplished. 

Pushing himself between them and holding up his hands in a peace making pose, Gideon said," Easy, he's a friend. Jaya Ballard, meet Jace Beleren. Jace!" He ended his introduction by throwing his arms around the shorter man, who gratefully reciprocated. 

"I'm so sorry I'm late. It's a long story," he said, words muffled against Gideon's tunic.

Gideon placed his lips to Jace's forehead, so relieved he felt he may cry. "I'm just glad you came back," he whispered. "We didn't know what happened to you."

It had been months since Amonkhet, and while Gideon wasn't the sort to give up on someone, it had begun to seem less and less likely that Jace could be alive. Jace's death would have been on him. It would have been his fault if one of the Gatewatch had fallen after he'd encouraged them to ignore Ajani's advice, if his lover had died needlessly in a battle that gave the Gatewatch nothing but defeat.

Pulling away enough to look Gideon in the eyes, he guiltily smiled and briefly explained," I lost my memories, got trapped by a millennium old artifact, and became a pirate."

Gideon gave a hearty chuckle at that and clapped Jace on the back. He couldn't wait for that story. 

Now that time was seeming to slow back to normal and he didn't need to rush to embrace his lover and prove to himself he was truly back, Gideon looked over Jace and rested his hands on his shoulders. "You look good," he said with a broad smile. "You've put on some muscle."

Jace blushed and mumbled," Surviving an island will do that to you, but working a galley will do so even more." He had new muscles he'd never been aware existed from just the ropework alone.

It was also the way he carried himself, like he wasn't afraid to take up space any more. He was confident in his body, now muscled, tanned, and showing the wear and tear of pirate life. His burn scars didn't seem to bother him anymore, nor did the unnatural white lines that traced his body's personal leyline. If anything, they only added to his pirate aesthetic, along with the multiple piercings.

Gideon could have appreciatively run his eyes over Jace all day long, just so relieved to have the ability to do so once more, but he gave a pat to Jace's shoulder and said," The others will want to know you're back—"

Jace shook his head and said," No time. I must return to Ravnica right away; I've been gone too long." He paused as he sent out his mental awareness and asked," Where's Nissa?"

"She—" Gideon averted his eyes and tried again as the wind pulled from his sails. "She quit the Gatewatch."

"What? Why?" Jace went to scratch his head then winced. He pouted as he pulled his hand away and glared at his fingers like they'd betrayed him.

Gideon narrowed his eyes as he asked," Is that blood?"

Jace quickly rubbed the bloodied hand on his vest and gritted out," Don't worry about it." His head rang uncomfortably as another memory nestled into the well of his mind and he suddenly knew the origin of a scar on his knee.

"You need healing," Gideon protested. "We can—"

Jace forced a smile and said," Like I said, no time. I expect a full report on this… ' _Weatherlight_ '…?" He divined the name as he briefly patted the minds of the fascinating ship for information. "…when you all meet me on Ravnica. That's Bolas's next step."

"We have found Liliana's last demon," Gideon quietly said, wondering what Jace's response would be.

"I figured as much, and I'd love to help, but Ravnica is more important than one demon," Jace said with a roll of his eyes. He wanted to believe she was a good person and doing her best to help them, but the time it would take to build that new trust was far from bridged. Regret weighing down his shoulders, he frowned and added," She's probably using you."

"I've seen her change during her watch."

Ruefully smiling, the cynic in Jace wasn't placated, but he grabbed Gideon's hand and looked up to his eyes, heart feeling better as he saw the trust they held. "I hope so. We could use every ally we can get. Ravnica needs me. We'll see each other soon, I promise."

He kissed Gideon's hand like the man had kissed his own that day so long ago in his sanctum, and his resolve to leave wavered but ultimately persevered. He would not be like Azor. He would defend Ravnica in her hour of need, and with the help of every ally he could bring together, he would eliminate Bolas from ever even thinking about harming another plane again.

Jace stepped back, and Gideon squeezed his hands once before letting go, echoing," Ravnica. I'll let the others know. We will meet again soon."

And, like that, Jace was gone back to the aether with precision unmatched by any other Gideon had ever witnessed planeswalk. He reached forwards towards the cold mist that was all that remained, a sorrowful cast to his shoulders and bow of his head. It had been a long war, and yet he knew they were not near the end.

"So lover boy's back," Jaya commented," I assume that's good news."

"Great news," Gideon agreed, righting himself and letting a confident smile return. Jace had survived the impossible, and he was returning to Ral. "Chandra, and I suspect Liliana more than she's willing to admit, will be relieved to hear he's alright."

~~  
~~

Searching out Ral was simple compared to following Gideon and compensating for the high velocity of the Weatherlight. He was busy in his lab, and even from the Blind Eternities, Jace could feel his deep thought. It was a breath of relief as he reformed into a material being in the lab he knew so well once more, dismissing the surprised lightning that threatened to overcome him. 

"Ral—!" His warm greeting was smothered by the harried embrace of the electromancer, guild leathers rough against his skin and no regard given for how the metal gear would pinch as Ral held onto him tightly like he might disappear.

"Jace," Ral breathed, a broken sigh leaving him as tears welled in his eyes. He let himself bury his face into Jace's shoulder and cry, relieved tears pouring down his face as the slightest movement broke the floodgates and left him weeping. "Jace, I knew you were alive."

Jace wrapped his arms the best he could around Ral's capacitor, kissing Ral's hairline and breathing softly," I'm sorry it took me so long. I'm back."

They stood wrapped in each other's arms silently as Ral cried and Jace did his best to keep his composure, but failed. He'd hurt so many people—broken their trust—with his absence. The next time he found Ugin, the dragon would quiver before him as he made clear just how upset he was to be a trap of the other's design.

After minutes had passed, Ral cleared his throat and asked," Have you told Gideon? The Gatewatch, well, what's left of them?" Another wracking barrage of electricity passed over Jace's body, but he dispersed it easily.

"Yes, I need to be on Ravnica, but I stopped there quickly to let them know I'm alive." He kissed Ral's head again, the other refusing to pull away from Jace enough to grant access to his lips.

"Bolas plans to hit Ravnica next," Jace said solemnly, wanting to relish in this closeness more but knowing time was of the essence.

"I _know_ ," Ral said, glad to finally find someone in agreement with him that being on Ravnica and planning was of utmost importance. Before he could explain how he knew, he heard the heavy footsteps leading up to his lab that could only mean…

Ral quickly pulled Jace with him and slapped a hand over Jace's mouth as he tried to ask what Ral was doing as he shoved him into a closet. Pulling the doors shut just in time as Tezzeret let himself in as he pleased, Ral leaned his forehead against the closet door and grumpily snapped," I've told you to knock. Unless you _want_ to be charged with lightning."

Tezzeret sneered and said," As if you could ever lay a hand on me. I've countered mages far passed your strength, rain mage. That ' _Guildpact_ whose disappearance has the plane in a tizzy used to be in my employ, and I swatted him around like the gnat he was."

Putting on his best performance he could muster and quickly wiping his tears away, Ral turned around and grumbled," Oh, yay, more of your pointless bragging. So what?"

Ral wasn't the best actor, but his reputation in the League for having a hot temper and playing to Tezzeret's desire to ruffle his feathers made Ral an expert at lying to the other artificer. He tried to make his mind open to Jace and let him know this cooperation was a farce, but he snidely continued his act and brusquely asked," What do you want now? I'm working on the equation you brought me. It's useless."

Jace felt the walls of the closet close in on him as he heard Tezzeret's vicious words casually riposte. He'd known that Tezzeret was now Bolas's lackey, Liliana had intimated as much, and he knew that Bolas had his sights set on Ravnica… but the thought that Ral was working with the man that cruelly twined through his memory for years of his life, in memories that were only a day old as they settled back into his mind and thus as raw and fresh as the day they'd been formed…

 _He was going to be sick_ , Jace thought, and he shakily sat down among the cluttered, dirty, work clothes Ral had shoved him into. Their voices continued to echo, but he didn't dare to project his mental awareness, keenly acquainted with how well Tezzeret could sense mind magic peering into his mind.

His breathing became labored, and all Jace could think about were all the times he'd broken down thinking about the man that was only a few feet away. Only a thin closet door separated them, and that wasn't enough, no matter how much Jace had grown in his confidence and magical competency.

Holding a hand over his mouth as a shuddering breath threatened to reveal him, tears fell from deadened eyes as Jace failed to keep his awareness about himself. He peeled from this plane of existence detachedly, needing to release his emotions, but the barest amount of wit he could strangle into control told him this was the last place he should do that.

A tone sounded through the lab, drawing Tezzeret's gaze and train of thought. "What was that?" he growled, not appreciating being cut off in the middle of his statement, whether it be by something sentient or automatic.

"Looks like you're not doing as good of a job as you promised maintaining the most recent leyline configuration, or the Selesnya leyline wouldn't have fallen out of concordance," Ral quickly spun, heart racing as he recognized that to be the alert he'd set for Project Lightning Bug. He invoked the firemind, like he had been doing more and more often these days, as he continued," If you would please stop being a thorn in my side and see to the Selesnyan Guildgate… We can't have it out of alignment."

Niv-Mizzet had devoted an entire sliver of his brain's might to waiting for Ral's requests and seeing to them so they could pull the wool over Tezzeret's eyes, which was more attention than he granted any one thing in the last three millenia. It honestly hurt Ral's head to have even such a small piece of Niv-Mizzet's psyche focused on him so specifically, but the assistance had been invaluable, just as it would be now.

"I did what needed to be done. If there's any discrepancy, it's thanks to the goblin help your guild insists on relying on," Tezzeret snarled, but he turned back to the door. Bolas would not accept any delays, and he couldn't risk this planeswalker circumventing him to tell Bolas himself of how things were progressing.

~~  
~~

On Zendikar, Jace stumbled into being, finding himself on some coast. He couldn't think coherent thoughts as he pushed himself forwards, towards the ice cold waters of an ocean that surely bordered Seijiri. Jace fell to his hands and knees as he reached the lapping waters, the rocky shore smarting in his wrists but he couldn't be bothered to care through his numbness.

"Jace?"

That name meant something. It had for almost two months, and years before then, but the man gripping the soddy earth beneath him like its existence was the only thing that could prove he, himself, existed, didn't react to it.

Nissa ran up to the other planeswalker, dropping to kneeling beside him and asking," Jace, where have you been?" She backed up just in time as he was sick, and she watched him reach up to his head, covered in dried blood and mud. 

"Oh, Jace," she breathed as she tentatively reached forward and examined the extent of the injury. Her power was stunted on Zendikar these days, so much of its mana cut off from the cycle and floating aimlessly through the wastes, but she sent a silent request through the ground beneath her to start growing specific herbs a short ways in from the coast where they currently kneeled.

"Speak to me," she urged, pushing herself to make contact with his bicep like she'd felt he took comfort from in past mental conversations. Softly, she reminded," It doesn't have to be with words."

A barrage of chaos blinded her, his first attempt to convey thought improperly controlled, and a softer, lighter, attempt at connection sounded a few seconds later as she sorted her senses out.

" _I'm sorry_ ," he began," _I've only had my memories back for little less than a day_." He hadn't attempted such a connection since Amonkhet, and his first attempt had been at a level beyond her. He recalibrated his thoughts to be easier to dissect by a non-mind mage.

Jace briefly shared his entire experience of Ixalan with her, leaving out the emotion but relaying the strict experiences so she could understand why he hadn't returned sooner, why he was as disoriented as he was now. The only emotion he left in was of seconds ago, realizing Ral was working with Tezzeret—the man she knew through a nightmare he'd shared by accident those many months ago.

" _Come with me_ ," she bid," _Your head wound needs attention_."

He couldn't fight that in his current state, the world around him barely existing in its own right, and he staggered to his feet with her help. She brought him to dryer ground and sat him down, cleaning his wound with a plant he couldn't name and applying a dressing of organic matter— moss?

The whole time, she ran him through the steps of what she was applying, all of what she had been doing since Amonkhet, her surprise but relief that he was alive… anything she could think of to drown out that terror that gripped his heart at hearing Tezzeret's voice. She wasn't used to talking so much, and it was exhausting but necessary. The mental feedback growing static and terrified any time she paused in communication backed her assessment.

She sat cross legged beside him as he hugged his knees to his chest, silently taking in how he'd changed over the months, as she waited for him to come out of his own mind. " _Take as long as you need_ ," she assured him as he reached out to her guiltily for taking her time.

"No," he whispered, his eyes still in the middle distance. "We don't have time."

Closing his eyes as he collected himself, he then looked to her with determination and said," Ravnica is in danger. Bolas is heading there next."

"Jace," she said, also breaking into a physical voice herself," I quit the Gatewatch."

Nissa's ears drooped in shame at the incredulous look he gave her, the echo in her mind clearly outlining his belief she'd return to the Gatewatch at the mention of dealing with Bolas. 

She averted her eyes and said," After Amonkhet… I thought you left us. I ran away. Liliana was using us to take out her demons. She only pushed us to seek Amonkhet out so she could erase another notch on her belt of demon deals. You should know as much."

Jace sighed and buried his face in his knees. Of course. It must have looked like he gave up on Amonkhet, and upon his silent request, she shared what they saw of him. It looked like he escaped with his tail between his legs, willing to drop the Gatewatch to keep his own mind intact.

"I don't know about Lili. I want to believe her; Gideon does," he said resolutely. He believed she would turn over a new leaf; he believed she would become a person he could believe in… he just didn't know when.

"Of course he does," Nissa muttered. She remained silent for a moment, then asked," If you went and saw them… Did you see how Chandra's doing?"

With a surprised rise of his eyebrows, Jace looked up and asked," You haven't talked to her?"

"We, um, haven't talked since that first day on Dominaria," she admitted. "The day I left…"

"Oh," Jace said heavily, reading how this burdened Nissa. "I, ah, I didn't talk to her directly. She was busy practicing pyromancy. All I could read without prying was that she was behind on an assignment." Thinking back to the incredibly powerful pyromancer he'd met aboard the Weatherlight, he added," I think I met her new tutor, and she was quite the powerful task mage, it seemed."

The might of her simple spell that was so effective at shutting him down filled his mind, and Nissa became interested in this. Her heart beat painfully through the ground, and while Ashaya couldn't yet rise to her after the calamity that had befallen Zendikar, his response echoed supportively to her. "I never even wished Chandra goodbye," she ground out with regret, covering her eyes, ashamed at her own cowardice to return and apologize.

"It took me months to return to Gideon and Ral, and they were just happy to see me again," Jace offered. "It's not too late to reach out to her."

Nissa shook her head. "It would do no good now. I don't intend to stay on Dominaria and help Liliana with a personal vendetta."

He nodded, then rested his chin on his knees.

"You've changed," Nissa observed, and not knowing what to say. She relied on what she thought any of the others might say, knowing they related to each other much easier.

"And yet, the same things still plague me," Jace whispered, a little embarrassed by his unplanned exit from Ral's lab.

"Old wounds can still hurt," Nissa said softly. "And they may take a long time to heal. Zendikar is only just in its beginning of purging the wounds left by the Eldrazi."

Jace laughed bitterly. "I am far from the magnitude of an entire world. Zendikar deserves its centuries of rest, I need to be in working order to protect Ravnica _now_. I meant to be on Ravnica because she needs me. I'm the Living Guildpact."

She watched sympathetically as he wrestled with his own self-worth. "I need to be on Zendikar, to see to the recovery of my world, but I can't always be. Mortals need time to recuperate before they can continue to help. Especially, a whole plane."

"Yeah, I guess, but I've been gone _for months_ , and I didn't even make it an hour before I blacked out and left."

She didn't know what more to say, and her attempt to be like the others had failed, so she grew rich fruit for them to share and offered him some food silently. "You haven't eaten," she insisted, _knowing_ she was right, as he hesitated.

Taking a bit more relaxed of a sitting position, he reluctantly accepted the native fruit and began eating.

The quiet meal they shared as Jace prepared himself to return to Ravnica was interrupted a handful of minutes later by a roiling call on the mana bonds through Zendikar. Jace and Nissa looked to each other, opening their minds and their powers as they tried to observe what the new threat was. 

With his help, Nissa could feel that the drawn mana echoed like storm magic he was used to working around; and with hers, Jace could see the direction the leylines were being strangled by such a large draw of power. He pointed, but she was already to her feet and running towards the intruder that was throwing the land out of order.

Jace started to stand, but he was too dizzy, and he fell to the ground with a sickening lurch. He tiredly watched Nissa run ahead, her mind assuring him she would handle this. Jace acknowledged that for all of the power he'd found himself reacquainted with, he was still very much injured and she was more than capable of taking care of this. Something urged his brain to reach out curiously though, and he sent a small scrying enchantment with her.

Nissa halted in her tracks as she saw a massive storm cloud rolling her way faster than storms of such small size moved. It was powered by mana of another plane, she realized, looking at how the leylines twisted around her but offered meager support. A wall of pure emotion was hurtling her way, and with a ping from Jace, she realized he was looking on and recognized the magic.

 _That storm is a friend,_ he thought towards her unconfidently. The scene of him hearing his partner talk casually to Tezzeret played in her mind, distracting her long enough with its pain and confusion that she couldn't run back before the storm cleared the distance and she found herself protecting her face from pelting rain.

A small humanoid shape was the epicenter, she confirmed, now trailing behind and running back to Jace's side. Looking directly at the man in the storm was blinding for someone like Nissa, and she had to rely on her peripheral vision.

The thunderstorm reached Jace, and he blearily looked up, a memory—not being able to make sense of sight or hearing and being unable to breathe in the rain—bowling him over. His lungs burned, but he was breathing, he was pretty sure. Time would tell, he figured lethargically.

Feet landed heavily a stone's throw away and Jace curled in on himself defensively, stomach in his throat.

"Jace," Ral called, dread falling from him in jolting sparks as his heart missed a beat. "Jace, it's me. I-I'm sorry. The storm…" Ral inhaled deeply and tried to dispel the chaotic tempest. He started by removing the pack from his chest, a small battery charged by the lightning rods in his lab. He could charge several of them a week these days, and they held a decent charge.

Ral was suddenly aware of a sword touching the small of his back, pressing hard enough to feel it through his layered work clothes.

"What did you do to him?"

Her voice was light but dangerous, much like the blade held to his back. He started to raise his hands, and she warned," Move too quickly, and I'll plant a tree through your spine."

"Good to know," Ral said, raising his hands even more slowly. His voice was dark as hers as he slowly stated," I didn't do anything, I was about to ask you the same thing. Why is Jace seizing on the ground?"

"He wasn't until you showed up."

Not caring about the magical sword or her promise, Ral brought his hands to his face and took a knee. The storm was quieting, but the rain grew colder, and Nissa saw true remorse shaking through his shoulders. Pursing her lips, she sheathed her sword and walked over to Jace, deciding the threat was contained, and now she needed to see to her friend's wellbeing.

She drew close enough to whisper in the downpour, asking," Jace, what's wrong?"

It took him a moment to come back to the present, and he warily looked to her, eyes haggard between his splayed fingers. He reached out for both their minds, unable to find words, loosely conveying, _It was just a few more memories settling back._

Nissa knew from what he had shared earlier just what he meant, and she looked back to the newcomer and shared its significance through the link Jace had opened. She offered her hands for Jace to take, and he accepted one as she helped him sit up. He still held his head, slimy as it was from the poultice she'd applied, and he looked to Ral with hardened eyes.

"What was Tezzeret doing in your lab," he gritted out.

Anger pressed its ugly claws into Ral's words as he growled," Who do you think has been delaying things as much as they can on Ravnica while you've been gone!" His words were shadowed by thunder threatening the mere misting may become a deluge once more. Jace had been gone for _months_ , he didn't know what Ral had been dealing with, all he had done to begin to ready Ravnica for the imminent assault.

"But Tezzeret—"

"Yeah, Jace. _I know_ ," Ral interjected with a loud burst of frustration. "If it weren't me working to make Nicol Bolas's crazy plans come to fruition, he'd just kill me and use the next Izzet mage who didn't know any better. I've been working with Niv-Mizzet on resistance plan, forging connections between the guilds. Just give me a chance to explain what you've missed!"

Jace felt the tatters of control Ral was holding onto, opening his mind and feeling the fear and pain Ral had been pushing himself through for so long. _All while he'd been living life carefree as a pirate_ , Jace thought guiltily. 

"You're right," Jace agreed softly, dropping the accusatory tone he'd been using. "I'm sorry."


	28. Chapter 28

Ajani planeswalked into Kaladesh, defeat heavy in his chest and tail hanging low and twitching with frustration. His ears sharply rotated back as he heard a vehicle's revving echo down the alley he'd found himself in, but he tried to relax the anxious reaction.

The earthy smell of Kamigawa's waterscape clung to his fur and contrasted with the sharp tang of brass he associated with Ghirapur. The salt in the air was gone, replaced by the strange smell heavy aether use left that his human companions never seemed to be able to smell. Cardamom and cumin hung in the air, along with a whole host of spices he'd grown accustomed to in his time on Kaladesh.

He looked about cautiously, pulling Elspeth's cloak around himself tighter as he tried to obscure his foreign form, and tried to pick out exactly where he'd landed. No matter how much he practiced over the years, it always felt so much more natural to find his way in a rainforest or plain than a cityscape, and despite locating several tall buildings that he was familiar with, it took him a few minutes to confirm he was near Grandmother's home.

Sticking to the alleys, Ajani made his way to the old woman's home to find some solace, his prior unrest only amplifying as he walked through streets he had to hide his existence on. He had told Gideon he would recruit more planeswalkers to fight Bolas, but luck hadn't been on his side.

He hadn't been able to track down Narset, and neither had Tamiyo. The soratami had suspected their human friend was either on another one of her long meditations in secret chambers on her home plane, or was off studying the Multiverse privately and remotely. Narset had never been a particularly social planeswalker, being great company for an interesting conversation over tea, but content to isolate herself for weeks at a time as she delved into the histories of Tarkir. 

Ajani hadn't expected her to help defeat Bolas, but he'd hoped she might have some enlightening advice on dealing with such a formidable, draconic opponent. He'd dared to dream that she may be able to offer her assistance, or share knowledge of a planeswalker that might join his cause.

Of course he'd asked Tamiyo, but she neither knew anyone he did not, nor was able to offer her own assistance. She had a family to look after, and the last time she'd worked with the Gatewatch, a priceless story she'd sworn to never read again had been twisted and consumed by a godlike entity.

Ajani's grip tightened on the white cloak he wore as he thought solemnly, _he was running out of friends_. 

He didn't know who to recruit in his now impossible mission to defeat Bolas. He'd joined the Gatewatch because they had brought him hope that he may be able to defeat tyranny across the Multiverse, but now half the Gatewatch had quit or… Gideon had not elaborated on what happened to Jace after their encounter with Bolas, but Ajani had heard how constricted his words were, even as he maintained an even cadence and neutral expression.

The weariness of a long week of planeswalking fruitlessly had pulled Ajani to Kaladesh, longing for a sense of home but feeling rebuked by the planes that should have offered that comfort. He hadn't meant to connect to Kaladesh so wholly, but his work with the Renegades had been more consuming than just a means to seek out Tezzeret. 

"Ajani, you poor dear," a familiar voice called out. "You clearly are in need of some chai. Come inside."

Ajani looked down to meet Grandmother Pashiri's eyes, a slow blink already pulling at his features as he realized he'd arrived. He let her take his large paw in her hands and pull him through her small garden and home until she was urging him to sit on the parlor's couch. From there, he watched her start to bring milk and water to boil over her aether stove, adding a stick of cinnamon, some gently crushed cloves, and a hearty splash of peppercorn. 

He couldn't bring himself to speak as she prepared tea for him, and with a few knowing glances, she didn't say anything either. It had been some time since he left Kaladesh, but not nearly enough to feel like it could hold all of the disappointment that had built with the shattering of barely laid out plans.

Grandmother Pashiri came and joined him in the parlor, handing a tiny cup with freshly strained masala chai. He thanked her softly as he opened his mouth to properly scent the overwhelmingly flavored drink. 

Typical chai was downright dangerous for him to consume in any quantity, and Grandmother Pashiri had been perplexed when he finally broke down on the third day of his staying with her to admit that he couldn't handle all the sugar she mixed in. His chai was spicy, and while hers was too, he knew she had several spoonfuls of sugar in hers, even if he wouldn't have been able to taste it. 

Too much sugar was harmful, but Ajani knew better than to turn down offered tea. The necessity he accepted the drink when offered to him was the only way this tea was similar at all to the much thinner, green tea he often shared with Tamiyo. He was glad she'd taken his alteration to the traditional drink in stride and they could still share the important beverage. The included milk was already rough enough on his stomach, he didn't need the extra sugar.

"How has Kaladesh been?" Ajani finally asked as he sipped the piping hot tea.

"There is a lot to be done yet. So many people have many years of their life to catch up on, both recently freed and those who have been so focused on fighting. There's an influx of magic on the streets with all the detained mages being released, which requires extra care from the Consulate to ensure safety around aether without restraining their rights…"

Oviya Pashiri sounded tired as she paused to drink her chai then breathed in slowly through her nose before resuming speaking. "I didn't figure you would be returning so soon, or I would have picked up more meat from the market." 

His diet requiring a heavy amount of protein was brought up more often than he expected on most planes he was a visitor. The jungles of Naya had raised him to depend on meat at every meal and little else. It was endearing that she sought to see him well-fed, just like an elder of his own pride would have of well regarded guests.

"Do not worry yourself, Grandmother," he insisted. "I am not staying long. I still must vanquish Tezzeret and his master."

Her happy, wrinkled face grew cold at the name, and she nodded briefly. Her voice was worried as she said," I'm glad you came by. There's something on your mind though, what is it?"

Ajani gazed into the tiny cup that was already nearly empty. The pit of his stomach rested empty too as he tried to think of how he would explain what weighed him down without overly worrying her. "The Gatewatch… Chandra and her friends," he began, his voice rumbling low in his chest. "They rushed into fighting what they were not yet ready to face against my warnings."

Dread chilled Pashiri's tone as she breathed," Chandra…"

"She is well," Ajani assured her, recalling Gideon's thorough account of their arrival on Dominaria. The only member he had skirted around talking about was Jace. His words implied Chandra was uninjured, but heavily embarrassed, and had left to become stronger. "She is ashamed, but she is young. Her little flame will burn bright again."

"The others?"

"Nissa left the Gatewatch, and it doesn't sound like she'll return," Ajani relayed. Grandmother Pashiri frowned at this news, and Ajani knew she'd encouraged Chandra to share her heart with the other Gatewatch member. Perhaps she took a stake in how their relationship unfolded. "Gideon and Liliana are distracted by another threat. It is important, but not as dire as what I joined the Gatewatch to fight."

Pashiri's frown deepened and as a silence grew, and she broke it a little uncomfortably. "Wasn't there another? A bright young boy?"

"He's gone missing."

"What a shame… I'm sorry to hear that," she said, her voice graven with the seriousness Ajani implied rather than said outright.

"I need more… We need more allies if we are going to win the next fight. We're smaller than when we took on just Tezzeret and Baan, and…" 

Ajani hated to bend to hopelessness. He actively looked to inspire hope in his companions, and it was his main drive towards inner peace. What happened on Theros… with how his heart still ached, it was hard to come to terms that it had been almost a year since her death already. He had been fighting the worming despair for so long, and now that his fight alongside the renegades was largely over, the righteous distraction was gone and his heart ached as desperately as it had once he stopped his campaign to discredit the gods of Theros and when he first left Kamigawa.

"Ajani," Grandmother Pashiri interrupted with unparalleled warmth. She took his large open paw in her small, wrinkled and weathered hand. "I know you've seen great tragedy."

They had discussed their histories during rainy days over a savory dish of khichuri. He knew of her late wife, the life of illegal artificing she'd joined after her passing, the closer and closer she'd worked with Renegade Prime over the last decade. In turn, Grandmother Pashiri had learned a little of his life growing up, how important of a friend he'd made under strange circumstances, and how losing her still felt like impossible news to breathe through even all this time later.

"You've done Ghirapur, all of Kaladesh, a great service in your work to tear down the oppression of the old Consulate. Many of us would do anything they could to help you."

He bowed his head and set an empty cup on the side table. "Thank you for saying so, Grandmother Pashiri, but as much as I would love your help, you know you cannot help me in the way I need." 

Pashiri chuckled softly and patted Ajani's paw like one might that of an adorably confused child. "I know more than you might think, my friend. Let me go grab an address of a workshop you should visit."

Ajani knew to be respectful to his elders, and his tail curled around his ankles attentively. "Thank you, Grandmother. I would appreciate that."

~~  
~~

"Start from the beginning," Jace said, warming his hands by the fire Ral had started for him and Nissa to begin to dry off beside. Ral was pacing far enough away not to worry about stray bolts hitting his allies. Jace sighed, and his words were heavy as he said," I know I've been gone a long time. What have I missed?"

"When you first left for Kaladesh, Niv-Mizzet re-promoted me to head researcher to further my research based on Project Lightning Bug," Ral began, knowing this would set the stage for just how messed up everything had started. "And a mysterious planeswalker was coming and going from Ravnica as they pleased, actively scrambling their departure. I had Lavinia detain my team, to stall for time so I could snoop around, though I didn't immediately find much."

Mind always a little scattered, Ral quickly interjected," Oh, and I stole some tea marked ' _Kephalai_ ' because I needed a quick birthday present for Emmara around that time. Sorry."

Before Jace could accept his apology or not, Ral launched into what the next week had brought. "I made a friend with a new planeswalker, Dack Fayden," Ral continued," Know him?"

Jace arched a brow at the term " _friend_ ", knowing Ral pretty well and being dubious of what qualified for a friend when Gideon had been an " _acquaintance_ " from the days they shut down Project Lightning Bug. He was going to respond that he'd only ever heard of him—a thief of some renown on Ravnica and other words alike—but Ral blew right past the chance, pacing and talking with the speed of his thrumming heart.

"He helped me find Kaladesh, but… I just missed you guys, I guess. You guys really upset a cat, I heard? Well, I returned to Ravnica to continue to do reconnaissance and figure out what possessed the dragon to bring back such a failure of a project. Yeah, well, my team being detained didn't sit too well with the Firemind, and I was assigned to work with Tezzeret."

Nissa watched Ral pace, head beginning to spin at the speed of so many words and the hectic energy almost humming to her perceptions. She looked to Jace skeptically, but he seemed resigned to watch the whole frenzy play itself out. He must have mentally overheard her concern, because a warm blanket of, _this isn't uncommon_ , was offered in such a way to help her ride out the tirade.

"Yeah, not great, but if I failed Niv-Mizzet, I would be replaced, and no one else in the League would know what he was capable of. I couldn't let someone become his unwitting pawn. So, I played along and rode out his tantrums and outrages, pretending to make progress to appease both Tezzeret and Niv-Mizzet.

"I wasn't doing as good of a job as I thought, placating Niv-Mizzet, but drawing the ire of Tezzeret's _master_ , Nicol Bolas. Of course, when Tezzeret revealed he was working for a dragon and I had to meet him, I knew just how bad that was."

Ral's frantic walking drew to a sudden stop as he thought, _I was always just a little too late_. First Kaladesh, then Amonkhet… With a heaving sigh, he looked to Jace and said," I met Nicol Bolas. Mouthed off to him, because I'm an idiot. Traveled to Dominaria and found out you were probably dead from Gideon. Similarly fun times."

He had to look away and continued pacing to urge himself to continue speaking. Guilt made it hard to swallow as he remembered his angry words for Gideon. Ral hoped Jace didn't pick up on the heavy regret.

"Had to divulge the existence of planeswalkers and out myself to Niv-Mizzet, which I guess was useless because he already knew, but we shared notes about what was all happening. He's been helping me as I coordinate with various guilds. I've reached out for help from Lavinia and Emmara too. We've got a plan to oust the intruders. We're going to kill Nicol Bolas."

"Ral, that's—"

"Oh, Emmara's guild leader now. You missed that," Ral commented mostly to himself. "And there's a spy network rising from the Azorius."

"What?"

"I've never seen such designs for thopters on Ravnica, and they're employed by the Azorius. Lavinia's told me they're a part of a spy network."

"That sounds a lot like Kaladesh," Nissa reflected softly.

Jace's head felt heavy, and his fingers teased the edge of the wrapping nervously. "B-but, what about… Emmara's guild leader now? What happened to Trostani?"

"They're fighting or something," Ral said dismissively. "I had a whole conversation with Emmara through their Holy Chord, and Mat'Selesnya Herself piped up and declared her acting guild leader, and I'm honestly still not sure the ritual wasn't just some rot farm mushroom trip."

Nissa opened her mouth again, but felt she would simply be spoken over once more and awkwardly looked back to the fire. Neither man seemed to notice as they kept up their fast-paced, clipped conversation.

"Lavinia is gathering a Guildmeet. It's secret. Treasonous I guess. I can't get ahold of Varolz or Jarad, and Isperia is relying on a Kaladeshi planeswalker, vedalken… We can't trust the ruling powers of the guilds, but we need to bring them together to fight Bolas."

"So Dovin Baan fled to Ravnica," Nissa posited, her voice swallowed by the din of their much louder voices.

"When's the Guildmeet?"

Ral couldn't stifle his pent up frustration, and a roll of thunder sounded distantly as he snapped," Oh, you actually want to show up to one, Guildpact?"

He regretted his acerbic words the second they left his mouth, and stuttered out an apology as Jace's face fell. He couldn't find the words to express he was just lashing out. It had been months since Jace had casually departed for Kaladesh without so much as a kiss goodbye; he'd been working for Tezzeret and while Emmara had healed his injuries, he already had more; and he had been so scared he'd lost Jace yet again after being reunited mere minutes.

Nissa stood suddenly, balling her hands into fists as she tugged on Zendikar's will and pulled Ral twistingly into the ground up to his calves.

"Rains! What are y—"

"You're speaking without thinking. Take a moment to breathe," she snapped, raising her voice so they would actually listen to her. Turning to Jace and maintaining her slightly menacing tone, she continued," And you, I know you didn't mean to, but you left. Can't you see he is scared? I was angry too. It's easier than admitting you're afraid they won't come for you."

Ral and Jace were finally silent long enough for her to collect her thoughts, and paying attention to her close enough she could convey them. "It sounds like Dovin Baan fled Kaladesh and is working for the Azorius now. He and Tezzeret were both deeply involved with the fair in Ghirapur, so we can assume Bolas has all the inventions and has placed his own people in high places of multiple guilds."

Nissa gave Jace a knowing look, the implications of the memory he shared with her backing this up. He cleared his throat and confirmed," We know of at least one other guild he's taken control of. You said you couldn't get a hold of Varolz? Vraska should have assumed leadership of the Golgari by now, as a pawn of Bolas, and I doubt she kept Jarad or his previous cabinet around."

"Great, another lackey we have to kill," Ral muttered under his breath, looking down to his feet as he tried to free his ankles to no avail.

"What—no! She's on our side— _will_ be on our side as soon as I can speak with her," Jace quickly cut in, drawing a curious look from Ral.

With a sheepish smile and idly toying with the many piercings he now sported in one ear, Jace blushed and said," I have a lot to fill you in on too."

"Evidently, but I need to be back on Ravnica. Tezzeret is expecting to come view my work in a few hours." He winced at the thought of planeswalking so suddenly, but there was no way around it. "And I… _we_ have a Guildmeet tomorrow."

"Let's make sure we don't tip Tezzeret off to their being something amiss," Jace agreed. "I can explain more on Ravnica."

Releasing Ral from his earthly prison, Nissa calmly asked," Then what are we waiting for? The Multiverse needs us."

Face brightening with surprise, Jace looked to Nissa and breathlessly asked," You'll join us?"

Nissa closed her eyes as she pulled on her relationship with Zendikar. Her home plane could wait just a little more. If they were gathering allies on Ravnica to face Nicol Bolas, she had to be there. She couldn't let the dragon rise to more power and threaten the Multiverse, Zendikar included, without trying to stop him.

"Yes," she said, though sounded hesitant as she shut her eyes and took on a look of pain. Shaking her head gently and repeating herself with more conviction, she said," Yes, I will help you stop Bolas on Ravnica."

"I guess we should be planeswalking then, huh?" The discomfort in Ral's voice outlined how much he was looking forward to the prospect, especially after blowing the energy he had on such a storm in his reckless need to find Jace after following him to Zendikar.

Nissa's eyes danced lightly from either human and she shook her head gently. "I need a moment to prepare. I did not anticipate leaving Zendikar when I woke this morning," she offered," Why don't you both rest by the fire? I'll be back shortly."

Ral took a heavy step towards the fire and didn't bother fighting the logic. It was a bad idea for them to all planeswalk together, potentially garnering unwanted interest from the large breech in the aether, but he would appreciate saddling with another in his rushed journey, even to the plane he knew better than all the rest of the multiverse combined.

Winded, he was relieved as Nissa offered him a hand as he sat down. It escaped no one's notice that he left a good arm's reach between himself and Jace, looking into the flames with as controlled an expression as he could manage.

_I'll be back in a little over half an hour_ , Nissa thought in Jace's direction if he still had the mind to listen, and set out. She was careful to let the ground beneath her know to watch over the two fumbling idiots so she could take a breath in the quiet company of nature and recuperate from the whirlwind of conversation she'd been subjected to. 

_Make sure you keep that headwrap on for at least an hour_ , she added as she considered the kind of… _activities_ she might find herself drawn to if reunited and given time alone with Chandra. This thought was met with acknowledgement, tinged with uncertainty and embarrassment. Right, Nissa really rather be anywhere else as they launched into such possible discussions, and she quickly departed.

Jace furtively looked over to Ral, who sat rigidly. His hands were holding onto the dials at his belt like he might be adjusting them, but as Jace focused on them, he realized it was to lessen how they shook. "Are you sure you'll be able to planeswalk on such short demand?"

A hollow echo of laughter left Ral as he brought one hand to cover his face. "I don't have much option, do I? Emmara just healed me up. It'd be a shame to find myself at the wrong side of a wrench so soon."

"Wrench?"

"Well, um, I haven't personally failed him enough to be put under a knife," Ral mumbled. A shiver wracked through him and with sharply raised eyebrows he bitterly added," Yet."

Oh, working for Tezzeret. Bile rose in Jace's throat at the thought of this. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I shouldn't have… I-I…"

Ral's voice hiccuped as he said," Hey, you couldn't have known. It had to seem like good news he left Kaladesh, right?"

"We thought we were helping," Jace said with a heavy sigh. Grimacing, he looked upwards and continued," We thought we could help Amonkhet."

"So, how are you? Um… Liliana said your mind had been ripped apart." Ral finally looked Jace in the eyes, and he saw heavy guilt weigh Jace down.

"After how well meeting him went the first time, you think I would have known better, but I thought I could beat him at his own game," Jace bitterly muttered. "I, um, I was used by Bolas's brother, and he triggered a trap—"

"No," Ral interrupted.

"Excuse me…?"

"No, there can't be another. Nicol Bolas isn't allowed to have a brother," Ral stuttered out, shaking his head vehemently.

"His name is Ugin," Jace said with a sympathetic smile.

"No, that makes him more real. Stop," Ral bidded, mostly in jest.

Jace noticed Ral's hand awkwardly drop to the ground beside him, fingers falteringly stretching out and curling back in indecision.

"I'm sorry," Jace stammered," I should have come back after Kaladesh, but everything was going so fast, and we decided waiting would only give Bolas more time to prepare."

Jace began to speak once more, but his voice choked off as his eyes emanated blue light.

_He was so sick._

_"Don't scratch," his mother chided._

_Jace whined at the advice as his mother rubbed more of her homebrewed poultice onto his back. His skin itched so much it felt like it was on fire, and the only temporary relief was—_

_"I will make you wear those mittens again."_

_Jace could hear the sympathetic echo of her mind behind her stern words and realized how difficult this was for her too. He'd gotten chickenpox later in life than his peers, and he'd heard her last night, when she thought she was alone… She'd buried her face in her hands and whispered to herself—so quietly he shouldn't have been able to make it out—that it was so much more dangerous for him to have gotten it as an older child._

_She'd been filled with regret, fear, a sense of failure she had harmed her child despite having done nothing wrong._

_"I'm sorry, mom," Jace stated guiltily._

_"Oh, honey," she said, holding his shoulders reassuringly. "You'll get through this."_

_"_ Just another week… _"_

_"I have to go back next week?" He liked school, he did, but he hated the bullys._

_She sounded shocked as she asked," What?"_

Ral breathed deeply as his vision shifted back to the present.

With a shaky sigh as he winced and held his aching head, Jace commented," I've had the chickenpox." The novelty brought a smile to his face despite the residual prickling across his skin from the memory. 

Eyes flitting to Ral, who absentmindedly scratched at his chest where the rash had been spreading in Jace's past, Jace shyly explained," I've started to regain my memories, after a rather tumultuous fall. I'm remembering even more than what I lost when Bolas unraveled my mind. Sorry, I'm having trouble keeping it to myself."

"Well, I'd rather have an offhand memory of what chickenpox is like than hear Emrakul's presence," Ral said dismissively.

"You've never had chickenpox?" It was a common disease for children across the multiverse.

"One of the few perks being born to a Selesnyan family," Ral mumbled. "It's hard to be a life church without embracing vaccines."

Silence settled over them briefly.

"So you lost your memories. Again?"

A pout pulled at Jace's lips as he gave Ral a sidelong glare. "Yes. Bolas erased my sense of self and I blindly followed Ugin's trap to Ixalan."

Making a show of counting on his fingers, Ral thought, _first reaching Ravnica, Implicit Maze, escaping jail, run in with younger Jace…_ "What's that, at least the fifth time you've lost your memories? I could be missing one…"

Jace looked to Ral with a reproachful narrowing of his eyes. He wasn't deigning to answer that. Seeing the warm expression he was met with, Jace melted and found his lips quirking into a smile. "You're a jackass," he sighed, placing his hand over Ral's.

"I'm your jackass."

Jace saw Ral's posture relax welcomingly, and eagerly scooted closer so he could rest his head against Ral's chest. Ral held him close and kissed his forehead, careful to avoid the mossy headwrap.

"I'm so glad you're back," Ral whispered, his joking irreverence gone and genuine gratitude in its place.

Jace was glad to be back, and he soaked up the affectionate attention being shown his way. 

"We'll save Ravnica," Jace promised, words more felt against Ral's chest than heard. "Together."

"You're damn right we will. I can't let you out of my sight or you may forget how to breathe." Ral snorted with laughter as he added," Again!"

With an affected sigh, Jace enjoyed the laughter this drew from Ral and closed his eyes in the protective arms of his obnoxious lover.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two days late is Covid On-Time.
> 
> General warning for Sad Vibez and for a bit of sexual spiciness near the middle/end.

Jace was hidden, properly prepared this time, as Tezzeret burst into Ral's lab fuming.

"The goblin help is useless! More wasteful of time then personally sending you out to tighten every screw yourself," Tezzeret growled, slamming his metal hand on a lab table hard enough to dent the steel tabletop.

Ral watched as apathetically as he could manage as the talons nearly rent through the heft of the table, swallowing hard as he subconsciously counted the beats as Tezzeret began drumming his fingers in frustration. Blinking as he looked away, Ral dryly laughed and said," You take that up with Niv-Mizzet."

" _Distract him_ ," Jace quietly placed into Ral's mind so unobtrusively, Ral thought for a moment it was his own thought. Jace's mental touch felt different, and he wondered if it was merely the time since he'd felt it last or if his magic had actually changed over the months.

" _Both_ ," Jace answered, unapologetic of reading Ral's thoughts. The man had asked him to be keyed in during this meeting, both to provide Jace all the information and to offer him support as he needed it. It was hard to put precise words to it for Ral, but Jace could feel a sense of loss from this lack of familiarity. " _Now that I remember my tutelage, I can't help but use it. I'd been improperly—_ "

" _Don't need to hear about how you were blindly toying with my mind right now, Jace. I'd like to dismiss Tezz as soon as possible. Stay on task._ "

A ping of affirmation warmed Ral's mind and he quickly brainstormed what he could do to hold Tezzeret's attention without bringing it too directly to himself, especially wanting to avoid the topic of how he could improve in his work on this project.

_An Izzet mage doesn't impede Izzet research._

The thought invited itself, and Ral couldn't help but sigh at his own brain.

"What? Do you think I'm wasting your time?" 

Tezzeret was baiting him, and Ral could tell from the lack of effort to hide it that Tezzeret would be particularly cruel if things escalated to a physical confrontation. _Well, if Tezzeret was being his hot-tempered self, he should be able to distract him just fine_ , Ral thought. 

Ral shrugged as he said," Honestly, I don't really understand why Niv-Mizzet has enlisted your help. You want to complain about the goblins, but at least they contribute to the Izzet with more than empty threats."

"Oh, they are far from empty," Tezzeret snarled. "But if you need to be reminded of that, it can be arranged."

Bolstered by the thought that Jace was by his side, Ral smirked and casually teased," First you want to improve our pace, now you want to carve up the head researcher." His heart felt dead in his chest as Tezzeret angrily took a step closer, but he forced a deep, slow exhale through his nose and continued," No, what I _need_ is for you to stop dragging your feet on those equations you promised me. I may find her as annoying as the weirds she works with, but Maree isn't one to sit on her work. Did you get her the pages I sent or no?"

"I'm not your messenger!"

"Hmm, no, but I was promised your full support by Niv-Mizzet, and I've been too busy directing a goblin crew the past few days. I don't think you'd like either of our dragon employers knowing you were the one bringing our productivity down."

Tezzeret bared his teeth as he screamed a gutteral expression of fury, pointing his hand forwards and firing the claws of his etherium hand. Ral stared him down, raising a shield of electricity over his skin that would be hot enough to melt tungsten, a satisfied grin pulling at the corners of his lips as the three claws all hit the wall behind him and clattered to the floor uselessly.

" _Have I distracted him long enough?_ " Ral didn't think he could hold Tezzeret much longer, perhaps having pressed too hard already. He wanted to be done, and he didn't bother trying to convey anything but that feeling to Jace.

" _Yes, I couldn't spend much longer in his head without his notice anyways._ "

"Done?" Ral asked, looking over his shoulder to watch as the claws began pulling themselves back to Tezzeret's outstretched palm. 

The air was charged with electricity, and Tezzeret stroked his unkempt beard, raising an eyebrow mockingly at the static that crackled against his fingers. "We're both easy to anger, though your displeasure lingers, doesn't it," he said under his breath, raising his eyes to Ral.

" _He's just trying to get under your skin_ ," Jace reminded.

Ral snapped back," _If you're looking to preach to a choir, go bother Emmara._ " He felt a peaceful retreat of Jace's presence in his mind and regretted his easy retort, but forced himself to pay attention to the matter at hand. Tezzeret was glaring at him and he could see words beginning to form on his lips.

"Maree will have your equations. I expect word on the next guildgate tomorrow," Tezzeret finally settled on, then turned about and left the lab with a slamming door.

Silence filled the air heavily and Ral awkwardly broke it with a shaky sigh as he leaned back on a table and grabbed hold for support. He heard Jace come out of hiding and approach softly.

"Good job. You got him angry enough I could've held a gala in his head without his notice for a second there," Jace said, leaning beside Ral with a healthy distance between them. His skin tingled where it contacted the table, but with his memories back including weeks of working with Ral in this very lab, he easily assessed this to be perfectly safe. Safe within Izzet parameters, at least.

Ral's knuckles were turning white from how he gripped the table, and he wordlessly nodded. That was a thankfully uneventful meeting, and with Jace's presence, he'd forced his hand a little easier than he had in the past. Even knowing it had gone well, he was rattled, and Tezzeret's easy slide into calm, calculating words about how they were similar had him feeling sick.

"Did you—" His voice was too hoarse. Ral tried to swallow so his throat wasn't so dry before trying again. "Did you get anything useful?"

"Well, it's intrinsically validating to know that I was able to read his mind without his knowing and it was all using techniques he never taught—was never talented enough to teach me—despite his posturing as an authority on the subject," Jace said, though he was mostly filling space as he tried to order his more on-topic thoughts. He had to be quick as he collected information from Tezzeret's mind, and was currently mulling over just what he had all grabbed.

Ral recognized the jittery air to Jace's voice, and he knew he'd been quite abrasive about the fact that he'd been the one to face Tezzeret's wrath the past few months, but Jace had just come damn close to face to face with his abuser too. He reached out to the closest lightning rod and discharged a sizable bolt from what he'd raised as a shield. 

This drew Jace's attention with the audible crack it created, then drew a warm smile that reached his eyes as they dropped to the hand Ral could now offer. 

Clasping hands with him, Jace nodded in a self-affirming way and said," He has finished the rigging for the portal. He'll need your help to set up the powering of such a large piece, but the shaping of the bridge is easy enough for him to manage on his own with his experience on Kaladesh."

"Well, shit," Ral said gruffly.

"And he's incorporated planar bridge tech into his chest."

Looking at Jace warily, he asked," What does that mean? He's already a planeswalker, so…"

"I don't know," Jace admitted. "But a side effect being that he's been able to tinker and learn how to efficiently triangulate Amonkhet, it can't be good."

"Fan-fucking-tastic."

Jace gave a wry laugh and said," That's a good way to summarize it."

"I'm really known for my mastery over word craft," Ral said with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

The silence became easier to bear, welcomed as a breather honestly, until Jace recalled he'd been in the middle of a long overdue explanation.

"So, as I was saying before he interrupted," Jace said, squeezing Ral's hand. "Vraska found me when I didn't remember who I was."

"I'm surprised she didn't petrify you on the spot," Ral repeated himself from just before Tezzeret burst into his lab, squeezing back as he heard just how close Jace had brush death several times before returning to him. 

"Honestly, same here."

"She pretty ruthlessly made statues of quite a few—"

"She picked criminals with reprehensible records," Jace quickly interjected with defensiveness he knew he'd need to explain. Ral quirked an eyebrow at this and clearly waited for Jace to say more. "I, um, I got to know her very well. She's not just a ruthless killer."

"Okay, but that collection of statues she left for you—spelling your name—was an… interesting exercise of creativity."

Jace's tone was a little bitter as he argued," She regrets that was the only way she felt she could get a hold of me."

"She was an excellent captain of her crew on the Belligerent," he added. "She took care of all of them like they were family. She showed me… kindness despite who she knew me to be. She never pushed me to use my powers even when she knew they were useful, but encouraged me to use them even though she knew they were dangerous to her."

Ral's skepticism was there to stay, but he could hear the sincerity in Jace's voice, and was thankful Jace had someone he could rely on during what was certainly a vulnerable time in his life. "So you reinvented trig while enjoying an island getaway and then became friends with someone who wanted to personally murder you just a few months ago—you really _do_ get on a first name basis with everyone who wants you dead."

"I was already on a first name basis with her. She only has one name," Jace pointed out with a little umbrage.

Ral shrugged and said," More fun my way."

Rolling his eyes, Jace agreed," Well, yes. Present company included, I have a fairly amiable relationship with most people who have personally wanted me dead." With a little levity, he suggested," Maybe Nicol Bolas and I will pleasantly walk off into the sunset as we set aside our differences."

Ral gave a long suffering sigh, then asked," Do you think you could swing that? Because I'm ready to be done with this war."

"Yeah, I'll just make a house call to his citadel and ask if he prefers tea or coffee."

"Black tea, I'm calling it. With lemon. And too much sugar."

It was the conviction that Ral declared it with that left Jace lightly shaking his head and a little concerned for Ral's sanity.

"So what was your beloved Captain Vraska doing on Ixalan?"

Jace's chest heaved with a brisk exhale as he prepared to launch into this part of his story. "Before I knew who I was… Before I could remember who Bolas was and explain… I decided to work for Captain Vraska on her mission in the service of a far away lord… Lord Nicolas."

The side eye that escaped Ral was almost as good as words itself. "You're trying to convince me she's misunderstood and then follow up with the fact that she's in the employ of Nicol Bolas?"

"You're in the employ of Nicol Bolas," Jace argued under his breath.

"Technicalities."

"She had no frame of reference for why she shouldn't be before agreeing to working on Ixalan," Jace said dismissively, just wanting to get back to the pieces of his story that actually mattered. 

"Right, okay, I'll suspend my judgement," Ral muttered, raising both hands to a descalting gesture before pushing himself away from the table to grab a cup of coffee. He felt the subtle mental request in the back of his head as he reached his coffee maker and automatically grabbed two mugs.

"Together, we found the City of Orazca housing an ancient artifact made and protected by none other than Supreme Judge Azor I himself," Jace said as he accepted the coffee gratefully. He'd missed coffee, even if he couldn't remember his previous life during his time on Ixalan.

Ral sounded practically haunted as he asked," The parun of the Azorius?"

"Turns out he was a planeswalker who was just passing through and decided to set up an entire millenia lasting government," Jace said.

"And created a Plan B of _kill everything_ if his government didn't work," Ral stated with deadpan incredulity.

Jace scratched at his neck a little awkwardly as he admitted," Yeah, I, um… I sentenced him to a life of solitude for his wanton disregard for life and horrible construction of the Implicit Maze failsafe."

Ral leaned up against the table, shoulder to shoulder with Jace, and stared ahead, properly agape at this reveal. "You—" He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head disbelievingly, then tried again. "You _'disciplined'_ Supreme Judge Azor."

Jace's face was caught somewhere between a smile and grimace.

"Sure, why not," Ral breathed to himself as he tried to come to grips with the absurdity of that statement.

"And after that, I made a plan with Captain Vraska to take her memories so she could fool Nicol Bolas, but return them when we confront each other here. She delivered the Immortal Sun via the Planar Bridge, which meant we were free to leave Ixalan, and I quickly met up with Gideon, then came back to Ravnica and you."

_Then things had gone a little sideways_ , Jace thought, but they were back on track. 

"And oh, the progress I've made with my magic in just the last few days… I used Oubevir's Maneuver to cover mental tampering and I can remember the proper tests to uncover if a mind has been reconstructed, and collating memory is simple as breathing now, a-and…" His voice had been joyous and rightfully proud, but it faltered and he distracted himself with taking a sip of coffee, his hands gripping the mug much too tight.

The hairs on the back of Jace's neck raised as a current of concern gently passed through him. Hesitantly looking Ral in the eyes, he quickly cast his eyes down and frowned as he whispered," I traded one abusive mentor for another."

Tears glistening in his eyes, he released a hiccup of a laugh and said," And I branded myself in his image." 

Thoughts of being a broken boy who got tattoos of the burning symbol driving a stake through his brain rippled through his mind, and he grimaced as he knew Ral saw them too. His head ached, and he hoped the healing magic Nissa had woven would shore up his mind soon. If he let his guard down for even a moment, he risked sharing more.

"Jace…" Ral set his mug to the side and turned so he could reach around and hold him in quiet support. What words could be adequate?

Clearing his throat and quickly wiping away a tear that escaped, Jace said," So we should come up with what we plan to say tomorrow, huh?"

Tomorrow was the secret Guildmeet, but it barely seemed important to Ral as he raised a hand to Jace's cheek. "That's future us's problem," he murmured, blinking away the tears that were lining his own eyes now.

"But…"

Jace's protest was weak, and Ral was able to quiet him with a brief shake of his head. His plea was soft as he spoke, barely disturbing the hum of the background lab equipment. "Let me take care of you. Just an hour. We can save the Multiverse later— _soon_ , but first what do you need?"

He needed to forget. Everything.

Jace needed to for once in his life to let go and think not at all of his past, or lack thereof, without the physical alteration of his mind by trauma, physical or magical. He needed Ral. He needed to feel him, be one with him. He needed…

His eyes swept back up to Ral's, hooded as he tentatively dropped the walls of his mind, laying himself bare.

"I can do that," Ral whispered huskily, grabbing away Jace's coffee and setting it carelessly on the table as he pulled Jace into a deep kiss. He heard a small crash and breaking sound and decided he'd never really cared for that mug anyways.

Ral felt Jace's hands at the straps that held his capacitor to his back, and as difficult as it was, Ral pulled away and quickly excused," It's been a pretty rough day, a-and I'm overchar—"

"I don't care," Jace whined, pressing his lips roughly back to Ral's.

Disentangling himself as much as he could manage, Ral argued," Well _I_ care if you go into cardiac arrest."

Jace was kissing his jaw, licking his neck, biting his ear…

Krokt, Jace was tempting his control. Heat pooled below his stomach. Ral leaned his head back into the ministrations of what he realized was an illusion strong enough to leave bite marks as Jace continued to press kisses against his skin. Wasn't _he_ the one supposed to be seeing to _Jace's_ needs?

"I need you. All of you," Jace breathed against Ral's jaw.

Ral moaned in pleasure, then cut himself off and asserted," And, Mother of Rains, you will. But why don't we try being a little smart about this? Let me just—Mmm, _wait_ —Just need to…" He couldn't find words, but as he finally gathered his wits enough to think of what he needed to accomplish, and Jace whined a little selfishly but released Ral.

Ral quickly meandered over to his most recent pet project and exchanged his heavy gear for light batteries affixed to small wristbands. He originally started designing them for allowing better metering of his magic while working on fine mizzium filigree, but alternative uses had quickly blossomed in his brainstorming.

He was adjusting them with a critical eye as he walked back to Jace as he said," These are only prototypes, so I can't guarantee that—"

Jace took Ral into his arms and kissed him, thinking," _Share what you know. I'll take it from there._ " His thought had the flavor of promising he'd be alright, that he could counter anything that came his way so long as he knew what to expect. 

Knowledge made itself readily available to Jace, and he witnessed the hours that had gone into drafting the project, the initial setbacks, and careful handiwork alongside just where they were most likely to fail. He didn't know he could be so turned on by something so innocuous.

_Ral was wearing too many clothes_ , Jace thought mostly to himself as he began to rip away the many sashes that held his tunic in place. 

"Speak for yourself," Ral muttered, his own fingers busy at the many belts of Jace's vest.

Hand finally peeking over the high waistband of Ral's canvas pants, Jace smirked with an air of victory. He pulled away the clothing enough to drop to his knees and plant a gentle kiss against Ral's inner thigh.

~~  
~~

They laid together atop a table with schematics and tools strewn about the floor.

_It was morning_ , Jace thought, stomach cramping as he anticipated seeing the many people he'd let down as Guildpact. Ral's hand on his chest began to soothingly trace invisible circles, and Jace realized he'd conveyed a bit of his unease without thinking about it. Sleepily, he thought he could use a cup of coffee before worrying about keeping his thoughts to himself.

"On it," Ral mumbled against Jace's neck, but didn't get up to make coffee. "We'll have to share a mug. We broke my spare during round one."

Jace closed his eyes and let a smile curl into being as he thought back to last night. "I think I can manage such a harrowing exchange."

"I think you officially have more hardware than me," Ral commented, then licked the backings of Jace's many earrings, eliciting a small noise caught between embarrassed protest and pleasure.

Blushing and becoming quickly more awake, Jace defended," I was a pirate." Many piercings and being able to leave sleep behind within a minute were both an average thing to pick up from the job.

"I like it."

"It doesn't look very professional for high brow Ravnica," Jace lamented, raising a hand to one ear and pressing a curled forefinger to the several pieces of metal it found. "I should probably take them out before the Guildmeet."

Ral muttered a reply, but his words were disjointed and didn't make sense. Jace pressed against his mind and chuckled at how clearly he was falling back asleep. He was most certainly not ready to make coffee as he'd promised, but Jace was more than alert and was happy to help out.

He wondered if his training as a galley hand would fade over time. Since his first planeswalk to Ravnica and ensuing life on this plane, he'd always been slow to wake up, but now he found himself ready for the day at a drop of the hat. That was his new normal, the only way of life he could remember until he'd hit his head at the base of the waterfall.

Disentangling himself from Ral's possessive grasp in his half-slumbering state, Jace walked over to the coffee maker that he realized they'd forgotten to turn off yesterday. From the black stains caked into the caraf, Jace hazarded a guess that Ral had more luck calling the flip of a coin than he did remembering to turn off the poor machine.

Jace pressed the power off, then took the coffee pot to rinse out the congealed mess and get water for a new batch. It was only as he walked past a large machine with polished enough metal to act as a cloudy mirror that Jace stopped to realize he was going about life completely nude. He'd never been so confident or comfortable in his own skin, and the lack of society to contest with on the island had led to using the little clothing he had as merely a precaution to severe weather.

He returned to his task at hand, still thinking through his muddled thoughts and trying to parse how he felt about any of it. If only he had a month or two for navelgazing before he was expected to coalesce all of Ravnica into a force strong enough to fight Nicol Bolas. The coffee dripped slowly, but smelled wonderful instantly. Jace inhaled through his nose gratefully and tried to push away his mired thoughts.

"Mmm, what a sight for sore eyes," Ral sleepily mumbled, propping his head up on the table and gazing over at the muscular back of his brooding boyfriend. "Thanks for starting the coffee."

"No trouble," Jace said, looking back to Ral. He wore a smile, but he failed to look happy. "I've seemed to have lost my ability to sink back into sleep."

"That sounds awful."

Jace shrugged. This was the first morning he would have thought to do so, so it had never stuck out before.

Ral stared unapologetically at Jace who had crossed arms, which only highlighted his sloping shoulders. "Everything alright?" 

Of course nothing was really okay. They were preparing their world in a few hours for imminent invasion, but Jace was keeping a marked separation of their thoughts, even his superficial emotions.

"Yeah, um, about to get dressed, but wanted to get the coffee going first."

"Do you have to?" Ral asked with a sly grin.

"Yes, I think it would probably be for the best if I attended my first Guildmeet in five months not in the nude."

Ral quickly riposted," It's only been four months if you use the Izzet calendar."

With an annoyed huff, Jace commented," I think I might just make that my first political stance and crusade for a single, unified calendar."

Laughing, Ral relaxed and laid back down, staring up at the ceiling of his lab. "You'll lose me to work for almost a full year as Niv-Mizzet declares the League's special project is to scientifically prove our calendar is best."

Jace poured a mug of coffee as the machine finally gurgled its last drop and snarkily replied," I'll need the time to catch up with Gideon."

"You'd go a whole year without me? I'm wounded," Ral declared, sitting up and letting his legs drape over the side of the lab table. It was a lot colder without a second body to heat it up though, prompting Ral to jump off and search for his discarded clothing.

Jace bit his tongue as he almost sullenly replied that he'd gone almost half a year without him. Shame was trying to beat him down, and Jace didn't know if voicing his thoughts or keeping silent was letting shame win more.

He was broken out of his reverie as Ral plucked the mug out of his hands and took a large sip of coffee before returning it. Jace looked to Ral with amusement as he took a drink himself. He noticed Ral held an assortment of blue clothing in one outstretched hand and frowned at the offered clothes.

"Sorry, I can't find one of your socks, but I promise you can have an entire clean pair since we don't have time to sneak back into your sanctum," Ral was chattering absently when he took note of Jace's severe look. "What?"

Jace bought some time to compose his answer to that wonderfully specific question by taking a long sip of coffee. Averting his eyes as he tried to explain what was going through his head, he asked," You, uh, you ever find yourself thinking you won't be yourself if you don't don a particular look, but… kind of hate it now?"

"Oh," Ral softly voiced as he remembered Jace's tears, recalling aloud that he'd branded himself with his first tutor's image. His tattoos were very similar to the design of his once again missing cloak and the rest of the blue ensemble that had survived his being marooned on a desert island. "Um, no, not myself, but I think I know what you mean."

Before escaping to join the Izzet, he'd had to dress much like his peers, but the Selesnyan clothes had never felt right. He'd embraced the Izzet leather and canvas garb the second he'd been granted it, and he'd never looked back. As much as he often found himself annoyed at working for Niv-Mizzet, he still was proud of his tattoo, his designing of it, and the day he finally got it inked.

"There are so many more pressing matters to think about, and I'm worried about clothes," Jace scoffed at himself, forcing himself to reach forward and take the offered clothes.

Ral now pulled them away and insisted," Being worried about presentation is healthy, especially before the guilds' delegates." He'd play to Jace's sense of stoic diplomat if it meant he'd let him take care of his insecurities and needs.

"I don't really own much other clothing, and it's all back at my sanctum anyways," Jace hedged. They'd both decided him returning to his home was a bad idea since the Azorius had been infiltrated so heavily.

"We'll just have to get you new clothes," Ral said," And you can borrow some of mine in the meantime."

And that was that.

Jace had no footing to argue the matter-of-fact tone in Ral's voice, and with misty eyes, he shared his gratitude with a warm embrace.


	30. Chapter 30

With a charm over both of them that should prevent thopter notice, Jace walked briskly beside Ral. He was leading them to the pub that Lavinia and he had decided on, and Jace focused on making sure they avoided the attention of any who would announce their presence to the wrong ears.

Ral had reached out to Emmara, who had branched out to the few ties she had with members of the Gruul Clans and Simic Combine. Able to vet that Ruric Thar had not been swayed by Nicol Bolas, she'd guaranteed their attendance, as well as the attendance of Vorel.

Lavinia had reached out to Teysa instantly, who had used her resources to extort a debted Rakdos hackrobat to inform Exava. Tajic begrudgingly answered Teysa's call with a pitifully small host of wojeks. No one explicitly reached out to House Dimir, but Mirko Vosk and a handful of Dimir spies were in attendance nonetheless.

The only guild not present was the Golgari.

Ral looked around at the gathered representatives, running through their plans in his head before turning to Emmara and asking," You couldn't find a single Golgari schmuck that you could verify wasn't working for Bolas?"

She shook her head, closing her blinding eyes in reticence as she said," The Golgari are currently embroiled in a coup, and it seems that anyone who was in opposition of Bolas's influence was unable to come to our aid."

Ral scowled, but nodded to himself. That made sense with what Jace had told him about Vraska working for Bolas. Jarad and Varolz were probably statues decorating Korozda.

She walked past Ral to Jace, who was barely recognizable to most of the people in attendance, joining him in the corner of the basement room. "I like the new look," she commented with a pleasant smile.

"Thanks," he mumbled back, diffidently smoothing his tunic. What he wore wasn't far from an Orzhov style, the royal blue tunic sporting a golden gorget that served to cover the scar that reminded him of Kallist. It was accentuated with white, canvas pants and tied together with long, black leather gloves and boots. Finally, of course, he'd picked out a matching cloak, and been made to spin for Ral's amusement.

  


"Y-you too," he added, taking in the awesome presence that literally radiated from her person. It was as if she had her own personal sunrise underneath her skin and behind her eyes, illuminating ghostly leaves that trailed her form.

Emmara laughed at his starstruck expression and said," You'll grow used to it."

"I'm sure," Jace said, though he wasn't. Eyes dropping from her radiant light, he quietly began," Sorry, for the whole… planeswalker thing."

It was hard for him to say it, even though Ral had told him he outright confirmed them both to be planeswalkers to her. It still made his heart feel constrained to think about how desperately she'd asked him to excise the knowledge from her brain the first time, and how much it had hurt thereafter to hold that secret once more.

"I- I should be saying sorry," she dismissed. Emmara knew Jace's strangled relationship with memory, and had herself given him quite a piece of her mind for deciding to scrub his own. "As I understand it, I asked you to take my memories after the Implicit Maze?"

He smiled, but it certainly didn't reach his eyes, as he nodded and looked to her once more. "I didn't really intend to share that secret, and I don't really know if that makes it better or worse."

"It…" She breathed in slowly and let go of the breath as measuredly before continuing. "It is hard to take in. Though, after my recent ascension, I see all much differently."

"You mean becoming the voice of Mat'Selesnya?"

"Yes. I can't put it into words." She looked him in the eye and asked," Could I show you what I mean?"

"Of course," he responded, opening a channel of communication between them without a second thought. All at once, he felt the immenseness her mind had taken on, both isolated from her peers and connected to all of life on Ravnica. 

"Jace?" Concern edged her voice as she repeated his name once more.

"I, um, I should have taken a little more care," he admitted. He had such a history of interacting with her mind, he'd approached it with the same cavalier attitude he had during his youth, but her mind now bore a presence akin to a dragon or a sphinx. With a smothered grimace, he added," I'm afraid I can't delve much more right now so I don't get lost before holding the meeting."

"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't know what I was asking," she apologized demurely.

"Thank you for helping Ral," he said while they had this brief time alone together. His gaze drifted to Ral, who was animatedly sharing something with Lavinia. "For taking care of him while I went away on a suicidal mission and—"

"He's my friend," Emmara interposed, though as always, her interruptions sounded like the natural and desired end of the other's statement. 

Even if her grasp on the fragile interactions that made life more than just mechanically living now took the direct will to assert herself in her conglomerate being, she knew she would see to the needs of any of her close friends as they inevitably suffered casualties at the hands of the war they were about to enter. Glowing eyes passing over Ral and Lavinia, their edges crinkled and she spoke once more. 

"You're my friend. They're our friends. We're about to bring all of the Guilds together to save Ravnica, because at the end of the day, we will remind everyone that they must band together to save the bright lights in their life." 

Emmara looked at how Teysa held onto Lavinia's arm, more personally than just desiring stable footing, as she herself spoke to a fellow Orzhov clergy member. "I've always believed that only good could come from bringing peace between the guilds," she continued," And I hope the guilds can cultivate true unity if we must have this tragic war about to befall us all."

"They can," Jace said, though his heart was heavy with the absence of the Golgari and whose side their leader was currently on. "I suppose it really is a matter of 'they must', at this point."

Lavinia pardoned herself from her conversation partner and handed Teysa off to one of her guards, then drew the notice of the small gathering with a stomp of her plated boot and a call to attention.

"Thank you all for attending this gathering today," Lavinia began as she slowly walked to the stage usually reserved for a string quartet. She rose one of the music stands as a makeshift podium and regarded everyone in the room with steeled eyes. "I know some of you have objections to this meeting and its treasonous ilk, but I assure you my heart still rests with the heart of the Azorius and their mission of protecting and upholding the Guildpact and its goal of distributing peace and staunching dissent.

"Some of you are the original maze runners like myself, the appointed delegates of the guilds following the Implicit Maze, and some of you are high ranking members of your guild that those delegates could trust. Regretfully, Varolz and a Golgari delegation could not be brought in, but we must band those of us left together to stop the threat we have gathered you to stop."

"Ooh, ' _the threat_ '," Exava heckled, earning a score of laughter from her bloodsoaked peers. "If you could be any more vague, pretty please."

"We will have no further interruptions," Lavinia bit back. "We are working under considerable time constraints. Whoever holds the floor is the only one—" Her eyes darted Ruric Thar, and she quickly corrected," are the only ones allowed to speak."

One well armored hand raised to the air, and Lavinia nodded in the delegate's direction.

"And why," Tajic asked," would we agree to that? Coming here without informing our leaders was a big enough affront to our guilds, and now you expect us to quietly listen as you spew treason?"

"Because it has been declared by the Living Guildpact," Jace announced as he stepped up onto the stage. "As in following section twelve, item six, no member of the Guildmeet may prevent the sharing of statements, queries, or requests of another attendant unless granted permission by whoever currently holds the floor, in the exception only of dire emergency that could lead to mortal injury."

Many of those in attendance breathed in to shout their objections, but found their voices arcanely absent.

"Thank you, Arrestor Lavinia, for the opening remarks. I will take it from here."

Lavinia nodded curtly and took a step back to grant the floor.

Jace looked out to the sea of angry, sad, or confused expressions all trained his way and reminded himself of the many times he had handled such pressure speaking before a group. It seemed a completely different life that he had done this week in and week out from his recent days as a shiphand, and he considered ruefully that in a way, it was.

"I must begin with an apology for my absence," Jace stated, and while this didn't mollify most of the faces in the crowd, it at least granted a uniform agreement from most of the guilds' representatives. "And it will be difficult to explain without revealing a crucial fact that has long been hidden on the world of Ravnica."

Jace's eyes locked with Ral's nervously, and he swallowed thickly as Ral nodded. He had to reveal himself, for the sake of peace. "There are those who are able to traverse many planes of existence, walk on foreign planes and travel about them as easily as taking a teleportal from the inner spires to Sumala. I am one such person. Your Living Guildpact is a planeswalker, who up until just days ago, was trapped on another world called Ixalan."

Jace rose a grand illusion of the tropical beach he'd been stranded on, and interposed his image as he'd appeared when he first landed on the island, bloodied from a battle he couldn't remember and clearly lost. The maze runners and their parties looked around, many skeptically, and a dainty hand rose.

"Yes, Grand Envoy Karlov?"

Withdrawing her hand and leaning heavily on her cane, she spoke up," I would ask to place a verity circle upon you, but as you are the current embodiment of law, I don't have enough power without the Obzedat's support, and their involvement would be perhaps… inconvenient given the secretive nature of this meeting.

"However, I believe this room may yet be swayed to believe such an outlandish claim if it could be backed up with physical proof. Your illusions are beautifully crafted as always, but are…" A look of concentration pulled across her face for a moment and the illusion pulled apart at the seams. "…Still just figments of the imagination, after all."

With his newfound mastery of planeswalking, it was simple to walk away and back into the exact same room he'd left, and he frowned but agreed," Certainly. How about a forgein coin minted of a metal that's not native to Ravnica?"

Teysa nodded and said," Between my eye and a metallurgical test provided by an Izzet mage, I think we can all agree that would be sufficient proof?"

_Krokt bless the mind of an advokist on one's side_ , Jace thought with relief.

"Alright, let me just think of where," Jace trailed off as his mind quickly paged through the multitude of planes he'd been to and trying to think of one that didn't use a standard metal for their coins such as silver or gold. Settling on one, he nodded and said," Okay, it will just be one moment."

He disappeared in a fine mist almost reminiscent of his illusions in how precisely it detailed his now absent frame, and a loud chime went off.

"Sorry," Ral quickly said, silencing his gauntlet.

Teysa looked around, taking note that when the one who held the floor planeswalked, it seemed to disrupt the Guildpact's order that no one interrupt, though most acted under the impression it was still in place.

Mirko Vosk was far from the only party interested in Ral's accidental interruption, but was the first to speak up. "What was that alarm? Tracking the Guildpact?"

"Oh, like the Dimir aren't too," Ral scoffed. No one denied this, not even Dimir.

"Now you I could place a circle on," Teysa said," If you would like to take the floor."

That was not Ral's idea of a good time, but with all eyes now on him and how important it was that they keep everyone in attendance until they could come up with a plan, he squared his shoulders and said," Sure. Place a verity circle on me."

Teysa pointed to the stage and Ral took the stand with as much bravado as he could pull together. Mouth tasting of flour as she placed a simple spell over him, Ral said," The Izzet has known of Planeswalkers since the dawn of the original Guildpact."

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Jace reappeared directly beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Static crackled loudly down his body as he continued," And has proven the Living Guildpact, Jace Beleren, is indeed a planeswalker."

Jace held up a dark coin that didn't reflect light very well, then placed it in Ral's hand. 

Realizing he could barely run a current through it, Ral's face lit up with genuine curiosity as he muttered," Cool, what a great insulator. What plane is this metal from?"

"Insulgton, courtesy of Therafin," Jace supplied loudly so all could hear, then turned his attention back to Teysa as he flipped a second coin to her.

One of her thrulls caught it, then presented it to her, and she announced," This coin has been confirmed to be of foreign mint, but I must ask the Izzet delegate one more question. If the Izzet has known of the Guildpact's planeswalker status, why haven't they announced it? Surely some diplomatic power play could have been made by revealing this information at a key point?"

Jace looked to Ral and thought his way," _We have to be transparent, Ral. If we are to win, everyone must know the hand we've been dealt._ "

A look of disgust carved on his face, Ral admitted," Niv-Mizzet couldn't confirm the Guildpact's status, despite theorizing it for sometime, a-and… I didn't reveal his status as planeswalker because I was hiding my own."

Several hands shot up in response to this, mouths bound by heiromancy and Ral took the granted moment of silence to add," I never wanted to be a planeswalker. My love is for Ravnica and my guild."

The sincerity in his voice backed by the verity circle being unbroken was a powerful play, and Jace felt a wave of belief wash over him from the gathered minds. As much as sensationalism was against his normal way of doing things, he wouldn't deny its helpful part in his current cause.

"Thank you, Head Researcher Zarek," Jace said, pointing back to the crowd and dismissing him. Ral looked back to him with tears lining his eyes before numbly stepping off the stage. Jace regretted pushing him to reveal himself, possibly Ral's greatest fear, but they were unfortunately in a position that didn't allow the luxury of personal secrets.

Clearing his throat, Jace addressed the group once more and said," A group of other planeswalkers and myself thought we were ready to handle the biggest known threat to the Multiverse, an elder dragon named Nicol Bolas."

He raised an illusion of the battlefield where he and the Gatewatch had faced Nicol Bolas. Gritty sand blustered through the air and heat rose from the ground. Behind Jace loomed their shared enemy, his magic allowing Bolas's image to expand through the roof of the basement and stand to his full height. "This dragon planeswalker has been scheming since before most of us here were born to use Ravnica as a final destination for his plans."

Jace crossly thought this would go faster if they would let him speak without interrupting, but knew that was a fever dream when considering the guilds of Ravnica. "Yes, Ruric Thar," he granted.

"What plan is the dragon hatching?" Thar asked, followed by Ruric piping up," And why on Ravnica?"

"Using the artifice of Kaladesh," Jace said, spawning an image of Ghirapur's fair," and the zombified army of Amonkhet, it seems that he intends to invade Ravnica and take our plane over by force." The illusions once more reflected Amonkhet, now emphasizing the terrible army he had amassed.

"But why Ravnica?" Ruric repeated, garnering a tense backing of his question by the other delegates. Thar angily insisted," You said there are many planes. Why here?"

"I do not know," Jace said honestly," But Ravnica has long called to planeswalkers with its abundant mana and diverse use." He decided to keep Azor I's planeswalker status and decree that ousted and prevented traveling planeswalkers to himself. Seeing a few hands raise yet again, he called on Tajic.

"So, you expect us to believe a dragon from foreign worlds is coming to take over Ravnica and want us to band together to stop him? I don't suppose you can cough up a pretty coin to prove that one."

Anger set rigidly into his face and curling under his words, Jace replied," Yes, I do, because the stake of Ravnica depends on it. My mind was agonizingly pulled apart because outnumbering him five to one, we weren't enough to stop him. With the unified strength of the Guilds—"

"Too bad you don't have all ten guilds," a strong, heedless voice interjected, which should have been impossible given the official decree Jace started the meeting with.

Everyone in the room looked towards the new speaker, then fearfully away as they realized who— _what_ —she was. A gorgon outfitted in a fine Golgari dress and her esteemed party of kraul warriors strode into the basement meeting, a vicious grin pulling victoriously across her face.

All but one looked away, even as she gathered heat behind her eyes and they began to glow a terrible yellow. _He was either mad or stupid_ , she thought as she locked eyes with him, _likely both_.

"Captain," Jace said with relief, looking at her with an oddly melting expression.

Her magic faded from her eyes just before she could release her powerful petrification spell, and she balked at the Guildpact. How could he possibly know of her position as captain? She had told no one on Ravnica of _The Belligerent_.

Then her eyes glowed blue as she was made to recall the last month in a single breath. The Immortal Sun granting her the power to petrify her enemies in statues of gold broke away to her tense argument with Azor I, Jace at her side. She recalled the late night tea she'd shared with him, and how he looked her in the eyes with no fear, just as he did now, back on the beach where she'd found him sunburnt and on death's door.

"Jace," she breathed achingly, the corners of her eyes crinkling with recognition and regret. She'd come here to kill him. She'd come here to… 

Vraska cast her eyes downward and away, shame making her eyes grow warm now with gathering tears rather than petrifying magic.

He reached towards her but stopped a good distance from actually touching her, knowing better. "Vraska," he said, a current of relief lifting the following words," It didn't take as long to find you as I worried it might."

Still not looking at him, she whispered," I came here to kill you."

A nervous chuckle left him and he shrugged as he said," I figured." 

A hand roughly reached his shoulder, and Jace looked over to Ral who still wouldn't look up for fear of making eye contact with Vraska. Worry cinched his brow as he asked," Jace, are you alright?"

The small hairs on the back of Jace's neck rose and he rose an illusion proactively to hide the frizzy hair that would follow. "Ral, I'm fine. I told you she's on our side."

Realizing the awkward quiet settling over the gathered guilds, Jace looked around and raised his voice to announce," Captain Vraska was an operative on the inside in my initial endeavor against Nicol Bolas. She's come to represent the Golgari Swarm in our intent to save Ravnica."

"It's queen now," Vraska mumbled to quiet the protesting chitters behind her. Her kraul entourage would accept no disrespect of her.

"Queen Vraska," Jace corrected aloud, while thinking her way," _You'll always be my captain_."

" _But—_ "

There were more important matters than titles or comfort. " _Does Bolas know you're here?_ "

Vraska shook her head lightly and answered," _Mazirek only just found the location of the Guildmeet. I came straight here to prove to Bolas I would continue to be useful…_ " To destroy the Living Guildpact and thus send the other guilds into disarray, which was Ravnica's last defense against her previous master.

A sea of voices crescendoed, and Jace realized that no one had the floor, which had been keeping the peace, if caustically. Hurrying back to the stage and taking the podium, he held up a hand for silence and said," One at a time. Queen Vraska and her party have now officially joined this Guildmeet, and will also be subjected to its order."

Many had something to say in response to this. Eyes searching through the crowd of displeased eyes, he decided," Guildmage Vosk, if you please."

Glowering, he looked to his fellow guild members, all nodding in some silent conclusion, and stated," House Dimir has not gathered any intel of Vraska in the last several months, and given recently acquired information, we would wish to establish if she is a planeswalker."

Vraska looked to Jace with wide eyes, and he guiltily kept his gaze trained on Mirko Vosk. " _I'm sorry, captain, but with the threat of Bolas nigh, I've had to divulge myself. Ral, as well._ " An uneasy acknowledgement pressed back against his mind, deeply uncomfortable and reluctant, but trusting his judgement.

"Yes," Jace confirmed. "Queen Vraska is a planeswalker, which is partially what made her a good operative against Nicol Bolas."

"If she has been appointed Queen of the Golgari, has she married or killed Jarad vod Savo?"

Jace's eyes slid to Vraska, a sour feeling in his stomach forewarning him he wasn't going to like the answer. Gesturing to her and hieromantically passing the floor, he awaited her reply.

"As is customary in the Golgari Swarm, I assumed power by besting the previous guild leader with an intraguild following," she said coldly. Vraska was aware that this wouldn't sit well with most present, but there was no denying his statue was currently decorating the roof of Svogthos.

Several guild delegates had follow-up questions to this, and Jace felt that each would take it as a slight if their question wasn't addressed first. How had he ever thought he could unite the Guilds of Ravnica to fight an invading, draconic mastermind when they couldn't agree on a table for Guildmeets? The pit of his stomach felt empty in his momentary hopelessness, but in his casual net receiving mental feedback, he remembered Emmara's words that were reflected by this discordant mass.

_We will remind everyone that they must band together to save the bright lights in their life._

Unity wasn't an option, it was necessary. Every person present had been convinced to some degree that planeswalkers were real, and that a very dangerous one was on his way to destroy their home and those they loved.

"We cannot continue to squabble and accuse other guilds of foul play," Jace said, spreading his hands to everyone present. "We must focus on how each of us and our guilds can defeat this interplanar threat!"

Exava raised her hand and as soon as she was given clearance, accused," Us and our guilds? You have no guild. You're not even Ravnican."

Jace pinched the bridge of his nose, jaw clenched at how those words stung. This wasn't about his ego or feelings, though. This was for the good of Ravnica, and even if he grew weary of being in the limelight and under scrutiny, he owed this plane to try his best to keep it together. It was a horrific weight on his shoulders, but he couldn't afford to break.

He wouldn't break.

At least not today.

Taking a deep breath, Jace closed his eyes and sighed. "I wasn't born on Ravnica, no. I have considered Ravnica my home since I was a teenager. I have spent my adult life here. I have made mistakes. I have prospered. I have lived my life as a Ravnican."

He heard her scoff at this and opened his eyes to indignant slits. Holding Exava's glare with his own, his words took a sardonic edge that she would have to appreciate given her profession," I have no guild, and you wouldn't appreciate my taking one, as it would dissolve the Guildpact."

"It isn't easy to stay. There is an untold number of worlds to explore. There is a dragon coming to destroy Ravnica—and soon—but I refuse to leave Ravnica to such a fate because it is my home. It is my duty. I am the Living Guildpact, and I will spend my life in service to Ravnica."

His voice was louder than he intended, and he realized his declaration had been laced with heiromantic energy. Many of the diplomats still didn't look happy, but none could object to his being the Living Guildpact, and many seemed to take solace in his verbal confirmation he would see Ravnica through this threat despite being able to leave the plane whenever he wished.

"So," he continued sharply," If any delegate has a proposal for how we may save the day, I would love to hear it."

Ral rose his hand, and relief made Jace feel a little weak in the knees as he called," Yes, Head Researcher Zarek. Please take the floor."

Walking up to the stage and feeling a little anxious at the podium as he tried to think of how to diplomatically share his piece, Ral took solace in the supportive touch of Jace's mind. Emmara looked to him with a small smile, and Ral smiled back weakly, but was emboldened enough to start speaking.

"Some in this room are previously aware of how the Izzet League intends to resist Nicol Bolas," Ral began, nodding to Emmara, and then nervously looking to Vraska's feet. 

The Golgari had agreed easily, and now were under Vraska's control, who had received her role by working for Nicol Bolas. The uncomfortable conversation he'd shared held new meaning, and he hoped that the Kraul were as loyal to Vraska as Jace was to her, and that she truly had Ravnica's best intentions at heart. 

"Lavina helped me organize this Guildmeet so that I may more quickly ask for your guilds' help in our plan."

Plenty took umbrage to his short time at the podium, and Ral grimaced as he apprehensively pointed to Teysa. She had more or less seemed on their side through this meeting so far.

"So the Izzet knew about this 'Nicol Bolas' and decided not to share because…?"

"Being a planeswalker, I was able to see the connections differently than others. As soon as I realized Nicol Bolas was involved, I reached out to my guild leader and we began to work on a plan before we reached out to ask for help," Ral explained, being charitable with the timeline of when he'd notified both Niv-Mizzet and any other guilds. He thanked his lucky stars Teysa no longer bound him to the truth, because he wasn't confident he wouldn't have broken it. "I was to be sent out to each guild and gain all of your support so that we could defeat Bolas. To quicken that timeline, Lavinia and I organized this meeting."

"Uh, yes, Vorel?"

"I don't suppose you would care to enlighten those you haven't reached out to prior with what the Izzet's plan actually _is_?"

"Niv-Mizzet is devising a weapon that could stop even the likes of Nicol Bolas, using the leylines of power that draw our guilds together. The Selesnya and Golgari have already allowed us to begin laying mizzium tracks and I was reaching out to Lavinia, but…"

He looked back to his friend, who stood in the back corner of the stage, still ready to protect the Living Guildpact at a moment's notice. Her lip curled in disgust, reticence to reveal that her guild had been fooled making her feet sluggish as she drew near to claim the podium from Ral.

Setting her hands on the music stand and gently clicking her armored fingers against its tinny frame once before looking up and addressing her peers, she divulged," One of Nicol Bolas's agents has been set to be Isperia's right hand, making the Senate at risk for collusion and untrustworthy. I am here to advocate for the beliefs of the Senate, though my guild leader and much of my guild would describe my attendance as treasonous if they knew."

She relinquished the podium to Jace once more and showed Ral back to the crowd. Many gave wide breadth as he walked down amongst them, and Ral awkwardly set his dampener to a higher setting.

"We need to stall for time," Jace announced," and we'll all have to work together to keep Nicol Bolas and his many agents from figuring out. The newly instated thopter spy network will make gathering and sharing intel difficult, so as much as we can plan now, the easier it will be down the road."

"Some of us will not betray our guild leaders," Tajic argued as he was called upon. "Just because some Izzet blowhards have cobbled together a quarter of a plan and want us to play along with their antics doesn't mean we will assent to providing them power. It's unlikely to help against Bolas, and they will surely try to wield it in the future against the rest of us. Just look at how wantonly they invaded our territory before the Dragon's Maze!"

Jace raised his hands to try and keep the peace, but he couldn't formulate a defense quickly enough. The Izzet were kind of notorious for such behavior, and the criticism wasn't undeserved.

"In order to prevent casualties, we should—"

Tajic talked over Jace heedlessly and said," I have no option but to report this to War-leader Aurelia. Collusion with present company against the leaders of the guilds has not worked well for me in the past, and is no way to paint a brighter future."

Teysa gripped her cane tightly, her knuckles paling in stark contrast to its heavy jet handle, and she positioned herself so she could raise a hand sharply.

"Yes, Grand Envoy, would you like to embellish on that?" Tajic sneered.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," she bit out," I would."

He gave a gesture of _by all means_ , but the contempt on his face showed how little he would listen.

"With my network of information, I have verified that there are new parties in control, pulling the strings of nearly every guild. I hadn't known what the enemy was, but I could see its machinations in the new thopter network and how guilds have rapidly shifted in their internal balance.

"One need not look any farther than the fact that we have two new guild leaders in attendance that assumed their roles in the last month. The _Izzet_ are scared enough to resort to _diplomacy_." 

This got a rise out of Ral, but Teysa ignored him and continued," This is indeed bigger than all of us, and just one of us going back to our guild and heedlessly divesting what they learned in this meeting could not only sabotage our attempts to fight Bolas, but throw the entire plane out of balance. I, personally, will orchestrate the Orzhov's participation in this mana grid."

"Of course you would look for yet another way to overthrow the Obzedat," Tajic sighed. "This just furthers your own agenda. And Guildleader Tandris is behind it because she has benefited as well. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the two guilds that have already let their guildhalls be intruded upon by the Izzet have also had new guild leaders instated."

That was a dangerous allegation that Jace didn't know how to step around. Vraska explicitly _had_ benefited and received her promotion based on current circumstance. He hadn't been told everything about Emmara's ascension, but it did look a little suspect in its timing and had literally paved the road to her guild in mizzium.

This was far from the most difficult case to be thrown at the feet of such an accomplished advokist though, and Teysa didn't break eye contact for a second, cooly responding," The Obzedat don't care whether mortal life on Ravnica is taken or not, no matter the scale. This dragon coming with an immortal army is a paltry concern to those ghosts."

Looking away for only a second to have one of her thrulls get to its hands and knees so she may sit on its back and cross her legs, she added," If you can say for certain that the Boros has had no unusual activity in its midst, that there is no outside party running any faction, I don't see why you couldn't work with us _and_ Her Radiance."

This had Tajic stuttering for an adept reply, and Teysa struck while the iron was hot. "However, I have reports that the theatres have been exchanging plans, even those unrelated to the other theatres' mission statements. Care to express to us all why the Theatre of Order has been asking your updates, commander? I thought the doctrine in practice since the fall of the Parhelion was to keep the theatres separate, as to avoid… _collusion_."

"Well, a-as commander of the Theatre of Fortification, it is important to be abreast of what those on the field are facing, so as to better forge our new weapon exploits," Tajic argued.

Teysa smiled her particular brand of smile that meant, _you never stood a chance_. "But the Theatre of Order deals with Rakdos threats, and I have word that most of this shared knowledge has been in regards to Azorius and Gruul territory. I am just stating the policy that Aurelia put into motion, inspired by the fall of every ranking angel in the Legion and its darkest day of finding they'd been infiltrated. The theatres, and further decentralized to garrisons, do not share intel as to prevent one mole from taking down the entire guild _again_. 

"So, I reiterate, if you can guarantee that there has been no infiltration of the Boros Legion, you should leave right now. But, I would remind you that angels are breaking War-leader Aurelia's mandate not to share inter-theatre knowledge, and Her Radiance has said nothing in regards to this breach in conduct."

Tajic opened his mouth to make a retort, but an expression of uncertainty gripped the proud man, and he closed his mouth without uttering a word.

An oppressive silence settled, and Jace cleared his throat to return attention to the stage. "It is likely that every guild has had some level of infiltration. Nicol Bolas has had twenty-five thousand years to hone his skills, and he specializes in pulling the strings of conflict," Jace said, hoping to avoid the guild diplomats wildly accusing each other.

Jace looked out to everyone with hope in his eyes as they no longer looked ready to leave. "What is important is that we beat the dragon at his own game and do our guilds proud." With this rallying statement, the secret Guildmeet began planning for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still really sad that the commission I ordered fell through (for the 100k mark, too 😭). I doodled a little something to commemorate the benchmark though, and you can find my WIP on Twitter or Instagram. Let me know what you think--of the art or the chapter! I've been pouring my soul into creating for this series as of late, and I don't have a whole lot of people I can directly share my work with these days. It would be amazing to wake up to a handful of comments and/or retweets.
> 
> Time to pass out. I stayed up way too late several days in a row to get this sketch to a point I could share it.
> 
> https://twitter.com/Cur10usC0rv1d/status/1283634098922233863?s=20
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsN6WQBv9C/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
> 
> **09/07/2020 EDIT**  
>  I colored the art piece, which can be found here: https://twitter.com/Cur10usC0rv1d/status/1303160206919073792?s=20


	31. Chapter 31

With Tezzeret's presence in the League, it wasn't safe to house the Living Guildpact with Ral, no matter how much either of them wished it made sense. A lot of attention was also drawn to Emmara given her new title of guild leader, and so to keep his return quiet, he couldn't rely on her hospitality either. Even his next choice, to be sequestered in Lavinia's modest apartment, was quickly shot down with how full of thopters the skies over Azorius districts were.

He had caught Vraska after the meeting to ask if she had any questions she wanted answered over coffee, but she had insisted he wasn't safe at her side for even that, so he certainly didn't ask her to shield him in Golgari territory.

So, having run out of the Guildmeet attendees he knew best, he found himself sipping tea with Teysa Karlov in yet another interesting late-night discussion. 

"Some of the Obzedat are really that old?" Of course Jace had known that the ghost council was quite ancient. Teysa, still in her magically enhanced youth, was already over a century old and her grandfather had only passed from this life to ghosthood after several centuries of legenthed life. Orzhov contracts typically had a strict time of function however, and it was hard to imagine the contract that paved the way for ten thousand years of profitable ghosthood.

"The original signers have all finished their contracts, but two of the current Obzedat were grandchildren of the original ghost council. A few hundred years into the Guildpact, a new law was passed with the accidental byproduct of allowing ghosts to renegotiate debts with other ghosts. Previously, at least one party had to be alive."

"Fascinating," Jace murmured as he sipped his tea and thought over the laws involved that would have allowed such an oversight. "So they are renegotiating with each other, exploiting the transfer of debts and interest, to sustain each other's eternal unrest?"

Teysa nodded quietly, her lips pursed as she looked down to her tea like it had called her a rude name. "There will likely not be a new member for at least a few centuries, as it would throw several of their current schemes into jeopardy," she added.

Jace regarded this statement and tried to figure out if she intended to make an appeal to join the Obzedat. He knew how much she both hated the ghost council and desired power in her own guild. If they might be willing to accept new members in a couple hundred years, she might be able to secure a position if she timed her own death right. 

Curiosity inevitably winning over decorum, he asked," I don't know if this is a rude question amongst the Orzhov, but do you have a contract set up for your afterlife?"

"I do," she confirmed. Teysa simpered in a way that let Jace know it was presumptuous to ask, but that she didn't mind. "It was taken out on the day I was born and has slowly been accumulating interest. I believe I have roughly four hundred years to my name currently."

He whistled at the thought of such a lengthy lifetime. Four hundred years in addition to the several hundred she likely had as a mortal was a long time. Jace privately thought he might just grow bored, tied to a single plane, likely in a single job, after so many exhausting decades.

"I've brokered my fair share of death-contracts as well, though I'm not at liberty to disclose with whom. Of course, in my current state of disgrace, those unfortunate parties would remain in stasis even after achieving ghosthood. My power cannot grant comfort in the afterlife while the Obzedat have scorned me."

Raising an eyebrow, Jace asked," So your contracts are going to allow a static existence where the signers can't interact with the world?"

Teysa shrugged and said," It was in the fine print that in the unlikely situation in which I was stripped of power, such would happen. Following my plan with Tajic, I was in prison for a month and have only been released because I managed a good public image and gave them more time to count their coin instead of deal in politics, but Orzhova magic can be granted and taken as the Obzedat please."

Eyes growing a little sharper, she pinned Jace with her focused gaze and said," It is a shame, though. Ravnica could have benefitted from some of the individuals being granted a second chance."

Furrowing his brow at that obvious dangling string, he asked," So your contracts have a non-disclosure clause, but I take it you want me to know?"

"It's a shame," she repeated, then paused for dramatic effect," that hieromancy prevents me from willingly telling you."

"I could read your mind."

Apathetically raising her eyebrows, she sat back and languidly said," I would have to fight it."

With a one shoulder shrug, Jace tried to keep the bragging out of his tone as he said," You wouldn't win."

Lips curling victoriously, Teysa joked," Then I should really just have you thrown to the street right now."

Jace's eyes began to glow their hallmark blue, and he said," That would probably be wise." This hesitation was granting her time to protest, to say it was all a joke and she didn't want this, but she merely set her cup of tea down and inspected her manicure patiently.

Entering her mind was less straightforward than he had anticipated, and often when he felt he was close, a wall would raise and send his consciousness darting in the wrong direction of the maze she set up as protection. Jace felt cold, and he realized a wave of enervation was passing over his physical body. Teysa was not at full strength like she had said though, and he was able to focus through it and pry her mind open as gently as he could manage.

When he found the list of names she kept to herself, he was relieved, just wanting to be done. Blearily, he drank up the information until one name stood out so paramount his control fumbled and he was shunted from her mind like a novice.

"Niv-Mizzet?!" Jace balked, his awareness back in his own mind and a cold sweat starting on his brow.

Dark circles now lined her eyes, and it was clear that little exercise for him had taken quite a toll on Teysa in her current state. With a tired smile, she picked up her tea once more with slightly trembling hands and said," I know him better than any non-Izzet guildmage, I would hazard a guess."

They would need to figure out a way to return her power. Niv-Mizzet fighting without restraint or worry for his mortal coil would be quite an asset for their cause. He didn't know anyone who could kill ghosts on Ravnica though, and Teysa had failed in all of her scheming to come close.

~~  
~~

"What in the layers of Rix Maadi is Jace doing walking to Kamigawa at a time like this?" Ral asked under his breath as he checked the quiet ping of a lightning bug.

"You could go ask him," Lavina huffed as he stopped pulling his weight and she had to compensate to cover it, even with the Kraul help. They were pulling mizzium beams through the undercity, electing to cover as much of Svogthos to New Prahv underground as they could manage to avoid Azorius detection.

"Ha ha," Ral said snidely. He took his spot on the mizzium beam back up, back straining at the heavy work. "I suppose you think you're funny."

"I am rarely accused of having a sense of humor," she responded flatly.

The damp air was cloyingly sweet with rot, and Ral wished he would have had his anti-nausea enchantment strengthened the last time they were grabbing more material from the Izzet teams bringing mizzium to the undercity. Between the nausea and yet another source of worry, Ral groaned at how his stomach churned.

Lavinia looked to him sympathetically, her own fatigue hidden well out of discipline but taking its toll. She was about to offer an Azorius platitude on diligent work taking the mind off weary thoughts, but the sudden chittering around them brought her attention ahead of them.

She almost dropped the beam, instincts crying that she should ready a scroll of protection, but held steadfast. Ral let out a questioning hum, then swore when he realized why they were stopping, and Lavina was glad the metal they were lugging through the undercity together was mizzium as a tang of ozone pervaded the air. Keeping her eyes downcast, Lavina greeted," Good day, Queen Vraska. Come to see how the leyline is progressing?"

"I came to make sure you have everything you need," Vraska said, eyes trailing over the two diplomats who kept their eyes glued to her feet. She was caught between amusement and sinking spirits at the blatant show of distrust.

"Well, if you could swing an extra set of hands or twenty, I wouldn't say no," Ral mumbled.

Vraska nodded and raised her hand commandingly, a small troop of erstwhile that had accompanied her moving to take up carrying the mizzium that Ral, Lavinia, and a few kraul had been trudging with.

"You must be tired," Vraska said, taking in the obvious droop of Ral's shoulders once he was no longer bearing the beam's weight. "Would you care for some tea while you await the materials?"

Ral breathed in to speak and his stomach roiled, prompting him to sourly mumble," Does the tea come with a side of queasiness? Because I'm afraid I'm full up already."

"Don't be rude," Lavinia chastised.

"I have peppermint tea," Vraska offered.

Lavinia may have advocated to be polite, but the thought of joining the assassin that had attacked and manipulated Jace with a list of statufied bodies was an off putting idea. However, this was the new leader of the Golgari, and Jace had seemed relieved to see her and placed great trust in her. 

Fingers brushing over the scroll of the strongest counterspell at her disposal, Lavinia hesitantly let her eyes drift up to Vraska's. "We could use the time to rest. Thank you," she said, speaking for both of them before Ral ran his mouth some more.

Vraska's brow wrinkled with simmering hatred as she locked eyes with Lavinia, quickly dropping to the scroll the arrestor had a hand over. She tried to smile, but it was strained and didn't meet her eyes.

Tendrils writhing before Vraska could temper her expression, she tipped her head in the direction of a small, local office and said," If you would like to follow me."

Ral grabbed Lavinia by the elbow as she began to follow, static dispersing over her formal armor, quickly whispering," What do you _mean_ 'sure, thanks'? She's literally murdered at least two people in the last week down here. One of them was Jarad vod hundreds of years old Lich."

"I can hear you," Vraska commented, looking back over her shoulder.

A chill ran down Ral's back, and he sputtered unintelligible words along with more static.

Sneering a little, Vraska laughed humorously and said," I can wear a mask if it will help you feel a little more comfortable."

Pouting at clearly being mocked, Ral ran with it and bit out," Fine. Tea and masks."

Vraska rolled her eyes. It was nothing new in her life, to be met with such dubiousness and having to hide herself to make others comfortable. Bitterly, she murmured," Anything for diplomacy. I was hoping we could discuss the future of our guilds."

They walked a little ways until Vraska brought them to what could charitably be called a garden with a marble building that looked Orzhova in construction. Mold and fungi grew through cracks, spackling it in a way, and seemed to be supporting its weight after the centuries of disrepair.

It was drier inside than Ral expected, which was a welcome surprise. Seeing a fireplace with a short stack of wood beside it, he asked," Mind if I start one?" Working in the damp undercity for the past hour had his bones chilled even if he was sweating.

"By all means," Vraska granted, starting an Izzet-made kettle before perusing the shelf of teas at her disposal. This old ruin was being transformed into a casual meeting room, one that she hoped to have many diplomatic talks in. She was new to being a guild leader, but not new to leadership. Creating a space where people felt they could talk to their leader, but that placed said leader in a comfortable place of control had worked well for her.

Ral placed a few logs in and snapped, creating an old-fire instantly.

"Please, take a seat." Donning a simple mask before turning back to her guests, she directed her attention to Lavinia and asked," What kind of tea do you like?"

"Anything's fine," Lavinia said, sitting in an armchair.

"She likes black tea with notes of lavender and two sugars," Ral supplied off handedly, taking the fire poker and playing with the fire despite his magic ensuring a perfect flame already. It was more an acceptable reason to keep his back turned than acting on any useful motive.

Lavinia quirked an eyebrow at the accuracy, never realizing he'd paid such attention. 

"I have the perfect selection then," Vraska said, plucking a small tin out of the meager collection she kept here, and filling a small strainer.

No one said anything as she prepared tea, the surrealism a little difficult to parse. Not too long ago, Ral and Lavinia had been annoying staples of each other's lives, and while a friendship blossoming from such a strained relation wasn't unheard of, Vraska had been second on the Azorius's Most Wanted list and had personally messed with Jace—something neither were eager to forgive.

Tendrils coiling self-soothingly at the tension, Vraska awkwardly offered Lavinia her tea. When Lavinia finally took it from her, Vraska said," I hope you like it."

It had been difficult to gauge where Lavinia was, she sat so still, but as Vraska slipped back into her often mandatory skill of navigating unsighted, she began to notice the subtle tremors in the room around her coming from the logs Ral was still massacring. She walked over and held out the cup she'd prepared for him and laced a little sardonic edge to her polite words as she said," And some peppermint tea for your upset stomach."

Seeing the way Vraska carried herself and held the cup out towards the general direction of her friend, Lavinia said," Ral, she put on a mask like you asked. You have to grab it."

"Oh, um, thanks," Ral said, looking up cautiously and seeing her eyes blocked as promised. He rose up and took the tea, then walked over to the armchair opposite Lavinia and sat on it's sturdy arm. He smelled the tea warily, suspecting poison if she was so ready to forego the ability to petrify.

"I must admit, I led you here under false pretenses," Vraska began, carefully guiding herself back to where she prepared tea and setting to pouring her own little mug, swiftly filling the world with the aroma of a bright herbal tea that had strong notes of hibiscus from Medori Park. She couldn't see how her words were regarded, but neither of them moved suddenly to attack or spoke loudly to object, which she took as at least a little promising.

"I would love to discuss guild relations," she said, then used the concentration to pour steaming water without sight as an excuse to hesitate before speaking once more. "But, truthfully, I am more caught up with the current issue of Nicol Bolas and how we face him, and keep Jace safe."

That hadn't been what either maze runner had been expecting to come out of her mouth, and Lavinia said," Keeping the Living Guildpact alive and well is a primary concern of the Azorius Senate. You have my word as an arrestor and the Steward of the Living Guildpact that—"

"I don't care about your word as an Azorius enforcer," Vraska snapped darkly, then cringed at her lack of self-restraint. The months on Ixalan had been so freeing, rarely having to dwell on her pain and hatred surrounding the Azorius. Clearing her throat, she more diplomatically added," But I know how deeply Jace trusts you as a friend."

She had seen one memory of Lavinia's stalwart support and care while Jace writhed with his head injury and shared all manner of things. In it, he had trusted her with his life uncompromisingly. As any proper leader, Vraska needed to delegate. She couldn't focus herself perfectly in the current conflict if she were split between her guild duties, duping a dragon, _and_ taking care of Jace. 

"What gives, Vraska," Ral said exasperatedly with the level of disrespect only an Izzet mage who frequently argued with his guild leader could manage. "Last time you were on Ravnica, didn't you want to kill him? Take his place? Now you're, what, super concerned about his well-being and happy to stop at controlling the Golgari?"

"I _lead_ the Golgari," Vraska corrected causticly, her tendrils flaring with frustration. "I don't control them."

"I would also appreciate an explanation on your change of heart," Lavinia quietly, but sternly, put forth. Words insulting her person and her guild were easily ignored, but Vraska's motives were questionable.

Vraska cupped her mug of tea with both hands and brought it to her lips for a long sip as she collected her thoughts. Finally, she spoke simply," I didn't know him, his character, his morals, then."

"Right, you got to know him better while he was a shiphand in your employ," Ral said skeptically. "Why would you even take him in if you wanted him dead?"

"I didn't want ' _Jace Beleren_ ' dead," Vraska argued. "I wanted the Guildpact dissolved if it couldn't work for the people! That they happened to share the same body was inconvenient for the person."

"The Guildpact expressly exists for the protection of the people," Lavinia said critically.

"It's supposed to—The _Guilds_ are _supposed_ to exist for the safety and betterment of the people," Vraska hissed, feeling her eyes grow warm in her anger, but dampening her magic before it grew out of hand. She was glad that the mask obscured she'd drawn on magic at all.

"Okay, okay, emotions are running high," Ral said, raising a hand defensively but realizing it was useless in the current circumstance and let it unceremoniously fall to his side once more. "Let's dial things back."

Raising an eyebrow at the hypocrisy, but agreeing with the spoken sentiment, Lavinia nodded, then looked to Vraska and said," Not a bad idea."

Only the lower half of Vraska's face was visible with the plain, black mask she wore, but her lips were pressed thin and her tendrils gave a clear air of being riled. "Of course," she said stiltedly, lips pulling into the least convincing smile Ral had ever seen.

"Why don't you join us in sitting? Ral come sit on this arm and give Vraska a seat." Lavinia patted the seat's arm to her left and gave Ral a direct look pleading for his cooperation. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, but did as she asked and left the other armchair open for the assassin neither of them trusted.

Feeling his reluctant trudge and dramatic motion to sit beside his friend, Vraska knew the seat was vacated and uncertainly walked towards it. Her hesitation vanished as she took a seat though, having long ago decided to always take an offered chair like it was a throne she deserved to command.

"Thank you. It's been a long day."

"Don't we know it," Ral muttered, then grumbled an obscenity as Lavinia elbowed him to behave.

"It may not have been your true goal, but why don't we discuss guild relations as you suggested," Lavinia said. "What did you mean by stating the guilds don't work for the people? That is a rather severe position to hold as a guild leader."

"The guilds are outdated at best, and intentionally oppressive at worst," Vraska said quietly. She leaned heavily to one armrest and drummed her fingers thoughtfully. "I wasn't even Golgari before taking this role. I don't believe in the guild system."

Ral shot her a dubious look and asked," Then why did you work for Nicol Bolas to get it?"

"Because the prejudice of the guilds won't disappear overnight. The guildless, and even the Golgari who are supposed to be the guild who welcomes all, need someone in their corner." Tears gathered behind the mask, but Vraska batted them away as her voice grew in conviction.

Sitting forward, she said," They needed a leader who would fight for their rights and protect them the next time Isperia arbitrarily decides to arrest all ' _Golgari scum_ ' because she feels they're becoming too populous or Niv-Mizzet throws caution to the wind yet again and develops a new super weapon he'll give to the Rakdos and Gruul without regard for the life it will end."

The other two guildmages were momentarily at a loss for words. Vraska had spoken so earnestly, from such a tender desire to protect. Ral swallowed hard and cleared his throat, but he didn't come up with a good argument and merely hummed in acknowledgement, furrowed brow and thinly pressed lips contorting his face.

"Supreme Judge Isperia—"

"Convicted hundreds, maybe thousands, of simply looking like they belonged to the Golgari," Vraska interjected, but didn't elaborate her personal ties to the atrocious act. These people hadn't been there for her like Jace, they were openly hostile and didn't care about her, certainly not more than their blind allegiance to their guilds. They wouldn't get her sob story. They didn't deserve to understand what she'd been through and try to relate.

Lavinia was sharp though, and put her last accusation together with the fact that Vraska had said she wasn't Golgari in origin. "And you were one of those convicted?"

Vraska had no comment, which spoke louder than a simple "yes".

Sucking in air through gritted teeth, Ral shook his head. Letting that breath out in a flat sigh, Ral commented flippantly," First Azor, then Agustin IV, now Isperia… The Azorius have had some real winning personalities in command over the millenia."

"Just because your two guilds have a number of leaders combined that would barely need two hands to count doesn't make them morally superior. If anything, they are more suspect to corruption," Lavinia said disapprovingly. "Supreme Judge Isperia is a wise leader. It took years for her to accept the position from Arbiter Leonos II, and she only did—"

Vraska sat back in her chair and spat," Whatever her noble intentions, she has proven as incapable as Azor in seeing the implications of her aloof decisions."

Lavinia glared icily at Vraska, but held her tongue as Ral set a hand on her pauldron. Sipping his tea quietly, he thought over how Jace had spoken of her leadership on the Belligerent, and the sincerity she'd had when she said she took the position of queen to protect the Golgari. 

"Perhaps you're right, in some ways, about the guilds," he said for the sake of argument. "And perhaps some actions of both the Senate and the League have been short sighted."

Lavinia scowled at the prospect of being the unreasonable one in this argument and breathed in and out slowly before asking," What reparations would you ask of the Azorius for your wrongful imprisonment?"

"We're past reparations," Vraska said. "Isperia cannot be trusted, and even you said Bolas is puppeteering your guild through her."

Lavinia narrowed her eyes and asked," So, what? You're implying she needs to be deposed? This is hardly the time to create such unrest, even if it were an acceptable solution."

Vraska turned her chin away and used her insider knowledge as she said," Dovin Baan inserted himself into the high court mere months ago, and she already gives her ear to him rather than you, who has served the Senate faithfully for years?"

Lavinia's frown deepened, but she had to admit to herself that this wasn't the first time Isperia had been so easily swayed by an interloper. Kavin, or what looked to be Kavin, had easily taken her side within days prior to Lavinia's participation of the Implicit Maze. She hadn't agreed with the writ against Golgari citizens at the time either, and now defended her guild out of loyalty but found her resolve waning.

Hands holding her mug tightly enough it was just short of cracking under her grasp, Lavinia said," Perhaps the Azorius could benefit from a new leader, but I refuse to conspire in the shadows, and now—when we are trying to unite all of Ravnica—is not the time to oust such a public figure."

"I have to agree," Ral said, looking down into his empty mug grimly. "Change in leadership shouldn't be thrown around lightly. Emmara took a position that has only existed a handful of years, but if someone tried to oust Niv-Mizzet or Aurelia, or any of the other longstanding leaders, there would be riots."

She wouldn't win this fight right now, she knew, and it truthfully hadn't been the focus of why she reached out to them today. It was still frustrating and painful to grapple with the truth that people valued tradition over people's basic needs. Vraska smoothed down her tendrils that wanted to lash wildly with her resentment, then off-handedly said," Well, I'm glad to have opened this dialogue at least."

Tapping a finger against his mug while thinking of his run in with Dack Fayden, Ral shrugged and said," Yeah, a calm conversation beats accosting the person you want to work with."

Lavinia gave Ral a pointed enough look to receive a small shock of his disapproval. He had literally tried to kill Jace during the maze, and was one the most verbally aggressive in their routine Guildmeets.

Smelling the small tinge of ozone and feeling undecipherable disrest from the armchair they shared, Vraska frowned and asked," Would you trust me enough to remove this stupid mask?"

"Yes," Lavinia hesitantly said, despite the look of suspicion that crossed Ral's face. Fixing him with a flat stare, she pointed out," If she truly wanted us to be statues, she'd just take the mask off and do it."

Vraska's lips curled into a smirk at the very accurate statement. The mask was about comfort, not safety.

Ral grumbled but assented, and Vraska removed the opaque mask and took in how both delegates held themself. Ral had his tattooed arm hugged around his body, a rigid tension to his shoulders, and his gaze trained on the floor. He was defiant but insecure, in contrast to Lavinia who sat straight up with perfect posture and an unsettled stare fixed directly at Vraska. 

Vraska met her eyes with a curious look, surprised she would dare maintain eye contact after such a tense conversation.

"You really care about Jace, don't you?"

Narrowing her eyes and tilting her head, Vraska asked," What suddenly convinced you?"

Lavinia answered simply. "Despite harboring such contrary feelings towards my guild, you were willing to ask me if I would protect him."

Vraska exhaled irritably and nodded sharply. "He trusts you, and I trust his instinct."

"Now," Ral pointedly added. "You didn't bother to get to know him before he washed up on an Ixalan shore helpless."

"Yes," Vraska granted cholerically, her nose wrinkling in displeasure. "I trust him now."

Shit, he believed her.

"Yeah, okay," Ral said, bobbing his head in agreement. "Let's discuss how we keep that idiot with a death wish safe."

~~  
~~

"Welcome to my glade," a soft voice said, startling Nissa out her confused reverie of the unnaturally grid-like trees she stared at.

"Oh, um, hello," Nissa said, turning about and seeing the elf who had spoken and having to avert her eyes from the blinding halo of mana converging on her form. "You must be Emmara. My name's Nissa. Jace sent me."

"A friend of Jace's is a friend of mine," Emmara said with a polite bow of her head, though that wasn't exactly true. The company he kept these days was slightly less quick to murder than those he trusted years prior, but that wasn't much of an accomplishment. "How can I help you today—He isn't hurt again, is he?"

With an air of curiosity, Nissa said," He was after his time on Ixalan, but I took care of his head. I don't believe he's injured himself again."

Emmara's laughter was rather bell-like, and she said," You'll have to excuse my brash assumption. He has a bit of a habit of reaching out to me when he's injured."

Nissa was aware, thinking back to when he'd broken his hand on Gideon's jaw. She tried to look back to Emmara, but still found looking directly at her like locking eyes with the sun. A little wryly, she commented, "He's very good at getting himself into painful situations from what I've seen. He must come visit you often."

Emmara let out a bitter chuckle. He apparently didn't even exist in the same reality as her most of the time. When she'd been worried about how long it had been since she'd seen him last, he'd been roaming the seas of a foreign world, making alliances with yet more people she wasn't sure she could trust.

Turning her attention on Nissa, privately evaluating just how good of morals his current friend was equipped with, Emmara noticed how pointedly Nissa looked away and asked," Is something wrong?"

She wasn't the best at looking comfortable in conversation in general, but Nissa was aware of how pinched her face read and she explained," I see leylines like most see the rays of the sun. And, you're…"

"A lot," Emmara finished with amusement. All of Mat'Selesnya's pull on the world's leylines currently ran through her, and Mat'Selesnya was powered by the small pulse of life present in all living beings. "I apologize. I wish I could do something to tone it down for you."

"I'll be fine," Nissa assured her, lips pulling into a frown as she thought of how Liliana had teased her dismissiveness of her own discomfort. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Nissa elborated," My discomfort is really a lot less pressing than what I came to discuss."

Emmara was certainly curious and called the plant life around her to grow a shell of vines above them to block out any potential thopters that may pass. It would draw attention, but she had been making a conscious effort to pull similar attention-grabbing stunts since she'd become guild leader on a daily basis, mostly for show when nothing important was amiss.

Dropping her voice, Emmara said," We have about ten minutes before an officer is dispatched to check on our ' _safety_ '." Her lips curled at the excuse she'd received several times when it was clear they were spying.

"I largely rely on elementals in battle if it's not one on one combat," Nissa began, cutting right to the heart of why she'd come here. Finding the words to express herself were difficult in the best of times, but talking to someone she didn't know and about a subject that was so nuanced made Nissa visibly wince. "And to form my elementals, I form a connection with the world I'm speaking to. I find it… tedious to speak to Ravnica's soul because the leylines are so… rigid."

Struggling to look Emmara in the eyes for half a second, Nissa said," If I'm to be my strongest in the battles to come, I need to understand Ravnica unlike I have before. I need to understand the leylines like I understand those of Zendikar, my home. And the leylines, even with the golden road being laid to guide them, all pull back to _you_."

Nissa hadn't strung together so many syllables uninterrupted before, possibly in all her life, and she took a shaky breath in and out. _Perhaps Zarek had rubbed off on her_ , she thought dryly.

"All of life on Ravnica is currently pulled through me," Emmara explained. "The entire Lattice weaved by Mat'Selesnya Herself."

"Mat'Selesnya?" Nissa recognized the guild's name within that phrase, but was unfamiliar with what it meant.

The revelation that planeswalkers existed, that there were people who had not grown up within the culture and common knowledge of Ravnica, had never seemed as obvious as it had in this moment. To think someone could reach adulthood and not know the History of the Paruns was hard for Emmara to understand.

"Back in the time before the Guildpact, several dryads formed together to form Mat'Selesyna and provide Her following with peace and order during quite violent times. The ten paruns, the leaders that signed the original Guildpact, each promised their guild to fill a role of society, and Mat'Selesnya gave herself to sustain life on Ravnica. She now lives within Vitu Ghazi, and I currently am Her voice," Emmara said, slipping into a voice she used for young Selesnyan initiates out of habit.

A grouping of dryads… Nissa had interacted with her fair share of dryads on other words and had found them easy to understand, both in motive and language as often silent as it was. If Mat'Selsnya had molded herself into the Lattice of Life as Emmara called it, and drew the world's leylines through herself as Nissa could see, it was imperative that she understand everything about how the Soul of Ravnica existed. It could mean the difference between victory and desolation for the plane.

Closing her eyes and facing Emmara with the most earnest expression she'd ever worn on a world other than Zendikar, Nissa asked," I intend to save this world as if it were my own. Is it possible I could speak with Her?"

Emmara pursed her lips at the request. "Communion is typically an honor and rite we reserve for members of the Conclave," she said, giving weight to her words. Emmara worried that she was setting bad precedent as the Voice of the Conclave to allow outsiders into communion so easily, but she acknowledged that peace and order required life to persist long enough to bear its fruits if it were to be worth protecting.

Mat'Selesnya had pardoned the intrusion and regarded Emmara positively when she had made the decision to bring Ral into the fold, and Nissa was a friend of Jace's. A friend who had faced Bolas with him the first time if she had heard right. "But… circumstances as they are, I think She will forgive the break in custom."

Nissa bowed her head deeply and said," I will honor this privilege."

Emmara reached forwards and grabbed Nissa's hands, her eyes growing misty. "I cannot thank you enough for your dedication to my plane. Come with me."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super late, but next chapter is looking be on time.
> 
> Mild warnings for injury

Building from New Prahv to Duskmantle had been tedious, but the guild of assassins and spies had played their part perfectly, allowing plenty of "setbacks" that provided time for the Izzet to brainstorm how they would use all the energy they were drawing. There were a few actual setbacks as they entered Gruul turf, which only sold how impossible guild unity was to those they were trying to deceive.

Now that the mizzium tracks were nearing Sunhome, Tajic was supervising, and given the trajectory towards Orzhova next, he'd asked for Teysa's company. The two of them watched the Izzet head researcher instruct his goblin crews, an icy silence stagnant between them.

"I never apologized for how your involvement with my plans lead to your imprisonment," Teysa stated, not one to bow to the pressure of silence. "I'm glad the Boros were able to negotiate for your freedom."

Tajic hummed in acknowledgement, mulling over the vicious responses he could dole out, and settling for," I still haven't heard an apology."

Teysa looked over to him, calculating frown deepening as she took in how he worked to seem unaffected. Clearing her throat, she said measuredly," I'm sorry. I'd never been allowed entrance before, so I didn't foresee that hieromancy would cease to work."

A smile crinkled at the corners of his eyes, the crow's feet of a life lived smiling gathering deep shadows. "I was quite relieved to see you at the next Guildmeet," he admitted. "I thought for sure you would serve dungeon time for your perceived insolence."

"Worse," Teysa said, face deceivingly apathetic but voice growing strained. "They stripped me of my title of advokist."

Tajic balked at this and looked to her with searching eyes. With enough sorrow graven on his face for the both of them, he said," I'm sorry to hear that. I know how much that title meant to you."

She smiled ruefully, and shook her head dismissively. "It's the same old song and dance. I'm sure I'll gain their favor once more in a decade or two, lose it again the decade after that."

Tajic shook his head wearily at her century long plight to gain power in her guild. "You're built of stronger stuff than me. I'm almost seventy, and I feel the weight of the world in my bones," he said, trying to recall exactly how old she currently was. "To be stricken down from the position I've worked so hard to secure would be a death knell to my pride."

"What we're doing right now could very well have you smited," Teysa reminded dangerously. He was the Commander of the Theatre of Fortification, but that wouldn't grant him impunity from Aurelia's wrath if she found out he was allowing this breach into their territory at the hands of Izzet. In fact, given his close relations to the Izzet as a part of his theatre's duties, he'd likely be outright branded with high treason and smote before a trial.

This in mind, she kept her eye out for any sign of scrying or other means of listening in, and prepared a small arcane strike that could end most means of espionage.

Tajic rested a hand on his sword and scoffed. "It wounds me that you think I'd let my own personal pride and health get in the way of protecting Ravnica. I swore an oath that I would gladly give my life to keep Ravnica from falling to villainy."

With a small smile and granting nod, Teysa said," Well, before we get much closer to Sunhome, you should really let me look at your contracts and make sure you're not cursed to be a soulsworn for some two centuries or so."

The dotted line that a Boros initiate signed was notorious for sneaking in time as an Azorius ghost, and those sentences were even more notorious for being monotonous and soul-sucking.

He laughed at that and assured her," I can put up with at least a century. It sounds like Lavinia could use the inside help."

"To think that these 'planeswalkers' exist, and that they could embed their claws into so many guilds so easily," Teysa scoffed, then bit her lip and added," Hopefully the same is true for the Orzhov as it is for the Azorius."

Tajic tilted his head and commented," Giving up on taking out the Obzedat yourself? That doesn't sound like you."

"The Guildpact reached out to an informant off-world. Apparently this person knows of a ghost assassin," Teysa relayed. Thinking of the green tea he'd brought back as an expression of gratitude for letting him stay in her manor, she added," And has excellent taste in tea."

"That's promising," Tajic said. 

"Quite," Teysa agreed, knuckles yellowing as she clutched the head of her cane tightly. Now said ghost assassin just had to be located and hired.

She would pay any price.

~~  
~~

Hiding the progress made from the underground Simic Gate through Izzet territory had been predictably difficult, but in a historic bout of cooperation, Ral was pretty sure that all the assigned personnel had managed to keep it secret they were stalling and accommodating a second project. There was no hiding the smell of kelp that lingered though, Ral lamented, wrinkling his nose.

Now that they rounded through the Izzet Gate, only the Rakdos Gate remained before Azor's Forum, and the circle would be complete. The decoy circle was a few weeks behind, but the true leyline project was possibly as close as a week from completion. 

If they survived Bolas's arrival, this unprecedented cooperation between the guilds would go down in the history books. They had coordinated Rakdos processions to parade through work crews; disagreements with over half of the guilds that took Azorius intervention that Dovin Baan couldn't sweep under the rug easily; and after Vraska's return to Jace's side, even orchestrated an entire piece of the mizzium track to fall down into the undercity from its weight over suddenly-decayed earth.

The number of guild members, from mindless thrulls to high ranking guildmages and guildleaders, involved was difficult to comprehend in the same way it was hard to visualize the true difference between ten thousand zinos and one hundred thousand zinos.

"Tezzeret is heading our way," Jace whispered, looking over his shoulder. 

The background noise of his mind was suddenly cold, and Ral met Jace's eyes, echoing his frown. "I was just starting to feel comfortable in my own skin, so his timing is as great as always," Ral commented with a pained smile.

"I'll check on Gideon," Jace said, drawing near and leaning in for a quick kiss. "And I'll be back soon."

Ral pulled him back for a second and a third kiss before pushing him away and hissing," Get out of here before he sees you!"

As Jace winked out of existence, the sound of metal on metal knocking let Ral know Tezzeret was at his door. Ral sighed and braced himself to talk to the artificer once more, but while his eyes were still lined with tired bags, a grin broke his sad expression.

He'd been able to get lunch with Lavinia yesterday. He'd woken to a parcel at his lab door this morning that contained the tea with pain-relief qualities and was signed, _Take care - Emmara_. Gideon was still off risking his life doing gods know what, but he was able to send Jace to give him a hard time about it at least, and got updates knowing he was still okay.

It was still hard to swallow before he called to let Tezzeret in, but at least he had some freshly steeping tea in hand.

~~  
~~

" _Told you my crew could swing that_ ," Ral proclaimed cheekily as the progress update on Niv-Mizzet's weapon was forced into his mind with searing heat. He was beginning to see white from how Niv-Mizzet had exhausted his tolerance for the day, and he felt a nod of recognition in the back of his mind as the force behind his eyes began to recede. " _But we need to…_ "

His protestation was cut short as Niv-Mizzet warned him," _Much more, and I will burn out your creativity. Then you would be even more expendable._ "

Ral couldn't argue that point as the two simple sentences projected into his head felt like lead weights dropped from a story above. He had to be at his best for the end of the week, their projected time to finish the leyline maze in accordance with the plan that Tezzeret would have delivered to Nicol Bolas.

He dropped his head to his desk, curling his arms over protectively as he thought longingly of sleep. Tezzeret would be at his door in an hour or so. If he wanted to keep up the charade that they were working their fastest to create this mizzium leyline, he would have to order his thoughts properly before the man showed his face. He and Niv-Mizzet had been brainstorming answers and working their most efficiently, he was as far removed as possible from the headspace of stalling.

Ral snapped to attention as he heard the bolt snap free and his heavy, metal door swing open wildly. Pushing himself to standing, Ral quickly turned around and tried to sling a bolt of lightning at the intruder, but without his gauntlet, he couldn't focus the direction enough and released a volley of static instead.

"I'm so glad we can finally drop the act," he heard Tezzeret's voice snarl. "We'll make much faster progress without your impediment."

Trying to pull in mana, Ral found himself struggling to even get his sights on the target, his vision swimming. He sent out a desperate call for help, doubting he even invoked his connection to Niv-Mizzet as a stiff impact to his chest sent him bowling over and out of breath.

Somersaulting backwards, he managed to get his feet beneath him and blindly vaulted himself towards the corner of his lab that his gauntlet was resting. He scrambled on hands and knees as he tried to pull himself across the lab before Tezzeret realized his fortuitous timing and how it left Ral unprepared.

As he reached up to the counter that held his gear to pull himself upright, a boot heavily pressed down on his shoulder and crushed him back to the floor. The world fit painfully into focus a few seconds later as he was being kicked over to lay on his back and faintly gaze up at the man who'd caught him ill-equipped.

"Looking for something?" Tezzeret taunted, holding up the mizzium gauntlet with his own metal hand.

"Fuck you," was all Ral could manage to breathe out, wheezing as Tezzeret's boot now found him square in the chest. He weakly brought his hands up, wrapping around the other artificer's ankle, realizing it was futile to try and push him away. He may have started tearing up if he hadn't been already, his ribs threatening to crack under the full weight of the man with a metal arm and chest.

Tezzeret was saying something more, but it was lost to the wind— _wind?_

Ral realized the entire roof of his lab was being peeled away like it was a lid of canned food. Tezzeret stopped speaking, looking up with wide eyes, blonde dreads pulled up into the air as massive wings beat overhead aggressively. Tezzeret was ripped away, talons wrapping around his chest and plucking him out of the lab like a discarded toy.

An enraged scream left him as he was peeled away, and Ral barely had the presence of mind to reach up and grab his gauntlet as it was nearly taken with Tezzeret.

Hands shaking, Ral quickly donned his gauntlet and tried to shoulder his capacitor as he blindly reached for his dampener.

Niv-Mizzet's deep roar echoed over Nivix before channeling into a loud order. "You best find them, and soon."

_Them?_

Ral belated realized that while difficult to hear in the midst of gale force wind and rending metal, the alarm signalling a lightning bug was going off. His stomach joined his mind in whirling as he was picked up by Niv-Mizzet like a pitiful mouse, and his fingers were cramping from stress, but he managed to hold onto all of his gear as Niv-Mizzet brought them up into the skies of Nivix.

The gear in his arms grew hot enough to burn as Niv-Mizzet careened out of the way of incoming fire, tinged black like it was born of oil. Ral felt a chill of death magic curl through him, but felt a surge of fortitude from the heat radiating from his gear. 

A raspy groan of pain left him as Niv-Mizzet received some kind of blow and reflexively tightened his talons around Ral. It became a throaty scream as a follow-up hit made Niv-Mizzet drop his quarry, and Ral was plummeting towards the city from so high up, the sky scraping spires looked like toothpicks below him.

Ral was dazed, barely breathing, and most likely dying, but he forced his vision to clear as he tried to get a look at what Niv-Mizzet was fighting.

It was Nicol Bolas. 

He'd seen up close and personal how large the other dragon was, but seeing them side by side, exchanging fire and tail lashes put into perspective just how much larger than Niv-Mizzet he truly was. _Niv-Mizzet looked like a caracal next to a lion_ , Ral found himself thinking disheartenedly.

A bolt of lightning converged on his point, the return stroke lighting him up like Nivix boilerworks, and Ral thought a little distantly that if he were going to die, at least it was in his element. He tried to planeswalk, but it was a token effort if anything. There was no focusing with the pain he was in.

Ral was now at terminal velocity, and upon gauging where he was eye to eye with the Outer Spires, Ral couldn't shut off the math running instantly in his brain that told him he had forty-odd seconds before he became paste on a sidewalk.

Regret gripped his heart that he hadn't given Gideon a better goodbye. If they were going to lose anyways, he'd wasted his last week with Jace. He'd let Niv-Mizzet down, his whole guild, his whole plane.

Another bolt of lightning struck through him, and he smiled grimly at how close he was to being rejuvenated enough to sustain some semblance of flight. It wouldn't be soon enough he knew, and he barked a vicious imitation of laughter with tears streaming away into Ravnica's atmosphere. 

Ral Zarek, always just a little too late.

A yell ripped Ral out of his spiraling thoughts, and Ral looked over to its source with confusion. The dragons had taken their fight to another district, and there shouldn't have been another conscious being this high up.

The splayed wings and majestic form of a pegasus was gunning right for him, its deep chestnut feathers crafting air around it to make an aerodynamic flight to cut off Ral in his trajectory for death.

"Gideon?" He whispered to himself as he recognized the man riding the pegasus. The charge building in him keyed him into yet another bolt about to strike, and he shouted a warning with everything he had left," I'm a live wire!"

He was not adding the murder of a pegasus to his last moments alive.

Brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of what he saw, Ral watched Gideon unstrap the harness holding him in the saddle and vault himself from the pegasus as he lined himself up to catch Ral.

Incredulous, Ral shouted," What are you doing?"

Metallic shrieking accompanied Gideon colliding with him and the gear he still desperately clutched. Ral felt the strong arms bring him close, and as angry as he was at Gideon for risking his life, Ral buried his face into Gideon's shoulder gratefully.

His vision exploded with honeyed light just half a second before bluish-white light kicked them and left Ral feeling a tad stronger, Gideon just quick enough on the draw to prevent his own electrocution.

"We're going too fast. I can't buoy us," Ral shouted, his words still almost lost to the winds.

"If you can direct us away from crowds," Gideon said, his words more a rumble in his throat than anything," I've got the rest."

Ral melted under the kiss to his temple and shook his head with conviction. He pulled on the feeble manabonds he'd charged from the three bolts of lightning that had struck him, and pushed them towards a reclaimed territory of the Clans. The winds clawed them with cruely cold talons, but a warmth diffused over them as Ral realized Gideon was extending his shield to encompass them both.

Gideon's focus was wavering at first, but his resolve bolstered as he assured himself he _had_ to be able to do this. He'd weathered a faster and hotter landing with Chandra in his arms; he could extend his invulnerability through the discombobulating descent with winds cutting at his focus.

It wasn't much longer, just under ten seconds, before they struck already broken cobblestone and dusted brick. 

For the first time in much too long, Ral was able to catch his breath, and a shuddering sigh left him at how deeply it hurt to breathe. He tried to open his eyes and look over to Gideon, but the settling dust was thick and his lashes were already heavy with collected debris. 

They both groaned as they tried to move, having been wrapped in Gideon's invulnerability, but still having landed hard enough to make a hole in the ground distinctly shaped like their huddled forms.

A whinny sounded from above and the pegasus landed beside their crater and stamped its hoof worriedly, if a bit impatiently.

"You have a pegasus?" Ral mumbled against Gideon's neck.

"War-leader owed me a favor for my help in the Ninth," Gideon said through gritted teeth, then grunted at how sore his arms were as he tried to push them to sitting. His hips creaked in protest.

"Shit, fuck, ow—Give me a second," Ral cried out, his breathing hitching and a broken whimper leaving him as Gdieon let him stay laying down.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have raised—"

"No, it's ah—" Ral hissed with pain as he placed a hand over his lower ribs. "Broken ribs are from Tezzeret. He attacked me in my lab, and Niv-Mizzet saved me…" He laughed weakly and shook his head, adding," Then dropped me."

"I saw that part," Gideon said, bracing himself as he got to his feet and crouched over Ral with hesitant hands raised and wishing he knew how to help. "Can I pick you up?"

"Hells if I know," Ral muttered. His voice was a wheezing mess as he continued," But I'm going to guess you holding me can't be much worse for my ribs than hitting the ground at terminal velocity."

That was a fair enough assessment, and Gideon apologized softly as he tucked his hands under Ral and lifted him up. A wail built in Ral's chest and he clamped his hand over his mouth to try and stifle it, succeeding only in wrenching his already aching shoulder.

He winced and whispered," I might pass out, sorry."

Gideon's muscles grated at the titanic effort of lifting another with how exhausted he was but he pulled Ral out of the hollowed bowl they made and sat him on the edge. Running his hands over Ral's face and arms, so grateful he'd made it to him in time, Gideon whispered smoothly," You just have to help me get your gear on and you can rest, okay?"

Ral mumbled something that was less words than an annoyed string of protests, but his fingers sluggishly began pulling the harness on as Gideon helped position his dampener and capacitor. At Gideon's gentle insistence, Ral turned up the dampener to max efficiency, then opened his eyes once more and looked to Gideon with a lopsided smile.

"I'm glad you're back," he slurred before sinking forward and planting his forehead on Gideon's shoulder.

Letting his fingers curl in Ral's hair, Gideon sighed happily and whispered back," I'm glad I'm back. It's so good to see you again."

~~  
~~

Jace looked up from his discussion with Teferi, smiling as he saw the pegasus Gideon had left on for a scouting mission. When Nicol Bolas had emerged into Ravnica's skies in blinding light, his chest had ached with fear for Gideon's safety. It was such a relief to see him returning. Jace's expression fell as he realized Gideon was holding close what looked like an unconscious Ral.

"Gideon! What happened?" Jace asked at a soft volume, projecting his words clearly across the distance with simple magic.

The pegasus landed beside the small group of mages, wings gliding and steadying them despite the considerable weight she now bore.

Jace reached out as Gideon began to dismount, but wobbled slightly with a gritted expression of pain. Turning back to their new comrades, he quickly called," Karn, could you—?"

The silver golem was already on it, delicately picking up Ral's crumpled form like he was a fragile bauble.

"Thank you," both Gideon and Jace said.

"He's quite the artificer," Karn commented as the various metallic pieces of his ensemble clattered against Karn's body. 

"And usually he'd be damn excited to tell you about it," Jace said under his breath as he projected his awareness across Ral and let out a consoled sigh. He was unconscious, but he'd waken on his own power sooner than later.

"Nicol Bolas and Niv-Mizzet are in the middle of a fight," Gideon relayed, then reached out and gripped both Jace's and Karn's arms as his knees gave out.

"Gideon," Teferi called, offering his staff for support.

"Thank you," Gideon said, leaning greatly on the proffered staff. 

Chandra came over and punched him in this shoulder lightly. Smirking, though her eyebrows were drawn with concern, she whispered," Looks like you took a bit of a beating."

He winced but smiled at her gentle love-tap and said," Falling for half a minute and landing in the Rubblebelt will do that."

Draconic bellows shook the world, and none of the currently conscious planeswalkers knew which dragon sounded like he was winning.

"This is bad," Jace groaned, rubbing his temples. "I'd love to say I believe Niv-Mizzet can win, but…"

"He's up against Nicol Bolas," Teferi finished as Jace trailed off, lips pulling into a thoughtful frown.

"You were saying you needed to find this 'Kaya' planeswalker, right?"

Jace nodded and said," Yeah, I was hoping to free up his contract before he fell in battle."

A wet cough left Ral, and a smear of blood now dibbled down Karn's chest, much to the distress of several of the present planeswalkers. Clearing his throat, face curling in disgust at the taste of iron and bile in his mouth, Ral looked around and wondered what kind of fever dream he was having. Looking up to the hulking piece of silver holding him, he blearily asked," What kind of fucking weird are you?"

"I've been called many mean spirited names, but that one lacks creativity," Karn rumbled, then spared Teferi a wry look, remembering the days Teferi had dubbed him " _Arty Shovelhead_ ". The chronarch was conveniently—suspiciously—distracted by checking on Gideon to catch the look from who he'd once disparaged.

Blushing with second hand embarrassment, Jace hastily stammered," He's a planeswalker named Karn. And uh, this is Teferi, Jaya. Ajani should be joining us shortly. Do you know Chandra?"

By the spaced out look on Ral's face, Jace doubted he'd really absorbed any of the information, but continued apologizing to Karn on his behalf," Sorry, a weird is an Izzet construct made of diametrically opposed forces, like water and fire, ice and electricity, the sort."

"My feelings are less important than finding Kaya," Karn dismissed gently. "And we should probably find these two a healer."

Ral raised an eyebrow and asked," Who's Kaya?"

Jace quickly filled him in with his mind magic, relaying in a second all he'd learned from meeting with Tamiyo at her home on Kamigawa. Head bobbing as concentrating on the influx of knowledge was almost too much and he nearly fell back unconscious, Ral shook his head slowly to clear it and mumbled," You sh-should… should find Dack."

Ral coughed some more and absently thought it couldn't be good for him to cough up that much blood. "Dack Fayden, he lives on Ravnica. He's a psychometrist. He helped me find Kaladesh."

"I did some looking into him. It seems he works mostly guildless now after having a fallout with the Rakdos," Jace said, having researched him after Ral mentioned meeting him while he bided his time for the Gatewatch to return and Ral was busy working on his projects with Niv-Mizzet.

Craning his neck to look Karn in the eyes, Jace asked," Can you see Ral and Gideon to a woman named Emmara? She's the guild leader of the Selesnya. Nissa should be with her."

Karn nodded, and Teferi spoke up," I'll accompany you. It's not safe to travel alone right now. I can help us travel undetected." Gideon was certainly not up to being stealthy right now.

"Thank you. I'll see to locating Fayden," Jace said. He looked to Chandra, who nodded with determination, and to Jaya, who shrugged.

Lowering her goggles, Jaya commented," If you need someone to cover for you when there's a pissed off dragon in the sky, you could certainly do worse than one and a half pyromancers."

Chandra gasped in indignation, but let it go as Jace brought up a veil of invisibility and he said," Alright, let's go. We'll catch up with them and Nissa after finding Dack."


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for claustrophobia near the end of the chapter.
> 
> Apologies for being so late, but recent events have really shaken me. Please note that this story is heading deeply into war territory, and as such, will continue to feature catastrophic explosions, building destruction, injuries, and mass casualties. Please take care of yourself.
> 
> If you are in a position to do so, please consider helping the citizens of Beirut through reputable charities. Remember to donate in your own currency since Lebanon was already facing economic problems, and your donation will go further if not converted.
> 
> If you aren't sure how to help, but would like to, there are some good references here: 
> 
> (the following link contains videos and photos of the Beirut Explosion)  
> https://www.newsweek.com/beirut-explosion-how-donate-aid-money-1522906
> 
> I think I'll take this week (Aug 12) off and try to catch my bearings. Thank you for all the comments lately. They all mean a lot to me. Hope you enjoy the building drama.

Locating Dack Fayden hadn't been as simple as Jace hoped, but not as impossible as he'd feared either. Lavinia had been instrumental in tracking him, but he was now realizing perhaps not the right company to bring when he sought to talk to a renowned thief.

"You're not under arrest," Jace called, running side by side with Lavinia and thinking exasperatedly that even with the muscle-tone he'd built up from his time on Ixalan, he was only just keeping up with the arrestor in full ornamental plate.

"You're not human," Jace accused, looking over to her and feeling a stitch in his side.

"Neither of you are," Chandra said, lagging behind and considering dropping back to where Jaya had casually told them to find her when they were done sprinting.

A grin spread on Jace's face at the thought that _he_ was the in-shape one in a group. Seeing Dack flee up a flight of stairs, Jace signaled Lavinia that she should take first and fell back in line so they could ascend the single-file stairs. They clambered up, but were losing ground in their mad chase, and Lavinia called out for the man to stop once more.

"No, thanks," the man called over his shoulder as he opened a window on the eighth story and stepped onto the sill. "Been fun, though!"

If what Jace had said was true, they couldn't afford to lose him, Lavinia acknowledged, and she pulled out one of her few Azorius scrolls left. Priming the scroll with mana, she reached forwards and whispered the arcane words that bound his feet where they stood.

Hand holding the stitch in her side, Chandra asked," Why didn't you do that from the beginning?"

"I can't restock my scrolls," Lavinia said under her breath, shame at the level of disgrace she had reached in her own guild coloring her words. The three of them were approaching the man with long, brown hair, now able to walk calmly up to him.

"And that is a shame," Dack said, clasping his hands in front of him with a mock look of pity. "So I'm sorry you've gone and wasted it."

Holding up a single finger and twirling it like he was mixing something gently, he began to incant a spell he'd picked up off of a ring from Kephalai. As he picked up one foot with some effort, then the other, he was about to step outside and plummet to a surprising planeswalk, but the man pursuing him reached out and called," Form of Arrest and Trial, section three, item one. It is illegal to leave a pursuing arrestor until you have received their pardon or been assigned trial."

He grinned as he saw it took hold, then looked to Lavinia a little guiltily. He'd forgotten about his heiromancy, honestly. He'd been surrounded by every type of magic other than law magic when he was a pirate. Being the Guildpact day to day was his reality of literally months ago.

Dack tried to take a step back, but found himself unable to, and even more confusingly, found himself stepping back into the tower against his will. With wide eyes, he tried to pull on his spark and escape, but Jace calmly used the same tactic Alhammaret had once used on him and pulled Dack back to this plane of existence.

Purple smoke swirling around them all but not spiriting Dack away like he'd planned, terror chilled his heart as he asked," H-How?"

Jace grimaced at the way Chandra was staring at him in similar fear. _You can do that, you can stop someone from planeswalking_ , was spiraling through her mind, and Jace looked back to her dourly. " _There's a lot I can do now_ ," he thought back with a mix of pride and shame.

They had to be quite distracted for it to work, but Jace was able to reverse engineer what Alhammarret had done all those years ago to him. He'd learned how to counter someone's planeswalk and pull them back. Dealing with the ramifications of knowing such a possibly nefarious magic was something for him to work through later though. Ravnica needed his unabashed expertise right now, and he couldn't afford to limit himself no matter the guilt that coiled in his stomach at the thought that he was acting much like he had in his Consortium days.

"Please excuse that intrusion, but the fate of Ravnica is resting on your shoulders," Jace said grimly. "Living on Ravnica, you might be familiar with my professional title."

Dack Fayden was starting to piece things together now that he knew this man was a planeswalker with an Azorius attendant. Looking at the redhead close up and realizing he'd looked in the mirror and seen her face reflecting back during his investigation of the sandcastle back in the sanctum Ral had brought him to only further supported this.

"Th-the Living Guildpact," Dack said faintly with a terse nod of respect. "And you must be Chandra."

"And this is my steward, Lavinia," Jace finished introductions quickly.

"Great, nice to meet you all," Dack said a little flippantly.

"Ral said you can find people across the planes," Jace said, dismissing his hold on the hieromancy that kept Dack from moving even a centimeter.

Dack crossed his arms and said," You know, you both could really work on your people skills."

"I wish there was more time to be polite," Jace granted, holding out a hand to shake.

Dack took the hand reluctantly, glaring at the two women who thought this man was reasonable company. Jace Beleren was a known mind mage, so Dack didn't bother keeping up his charade of being on the correct side of the law. "So just what use does the Living Guildpact have for a thief?"

"Tracking down an assassin," Jace responded a little cryptically.

Having no time for Jace's enigmatic bullshit, Chandra out and said who they were trying to track. "We're trying to find a planeswalker named Kaya. Ever hear of her?"

Dack sputtered at the dropped name, then pressed his lips tight and raised his eyebrows in a look that clearly conveyed, _You want to run that by me again?_ Shaking his head lightly, he asked," You're looking for the Ghost Assassin? The woman who killed Brago and destroyed the Revari family?"

"I take it he's heard of her," Lavinia muttered under her breath.

Chuckling at the insane people holding him hostage, he said," Yes, I've heard of her. You don't do business on Fiora without having heard of _Kaya_."

"Great. We need her," Chandra said impatiently. The knowledge Jace had shared that Nissa was on plane had her excited and terrified to get going with their plans. Butterflies danced in her stomach knowing that they would meet up with Nissa soon. "Can you find her?"

"I—Why would I go find her on your behalf? You're planeswalkers. You're certainly capable."

"Because Ravnica is about to fall if we can't liberate some contracts from the Obzedat's hands," Lavinia stated coldly. "Some of us are stuck here whether we like it or not, and some of you have chosen to live here because you can. No matter where any of us fall, it's up to all of us to do our part and save Ravnica from Nicol Bolas—the dragon double the size of Niv-Mizzet who's currently trying to kill him while his Orzhova contract is inert."

The earnest glare Lavinia held made Dack gulp and nod absently. "Right, okay. I'll find Kaya."

Looking between the three of them, he asked," But what do I offer her for this commission?"

"Well, for your help, you will be absolved of all previous crimes you have committed on this plane before today," Jace said, then bit his lip. "As for Kaya…"

Jace looked to Lavinia for help. He didn't have much wealth lying around that wasn't in the form of obscure knowledge, and he couldn't actually offer any guild property.

"You can start with offering her a multiverse where Nicol Bolas doesn't live," Chandra said with conviction. Looking at Jace and gesturing vaguely, she said," Go on, Jace. Show him Amonkhet. Show him what Nicol Bolas is planning and what he'd do with that kind of power."

Jace's eyes radiated blue light and he shared the images as she requested, careful to leave the very real threat but strip the sheer overwhelming nature of sharing such personal depictions of violence.

"She can further close her contract with Grand Envoy Teysa Karlov," Jace added, placing a hand on Dack's shoulder. "If that's not enough for her, get creative. Ravnica is depending on you."

_He really had to stop being swayed to do the virtuous thing_ , Dack thought irritably, but it looked like today wouldn't be the day he learned his lesson. He nodded with resignation, then pinched the bridge of his nose and said," Alright. I'll bring her to Ravnica, but I won't be able to strongarm the Ghost Assassin into a contract if she doesn't want to enter one."

"Thank you," Jace said, letting go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

This time, Dack was able to break through the aether without resistance, the purple smog quickly dissipating.

"Let's go find Jaya so we can be on our way," Chandra said, not sparing a second glance to where the other planeswalker had been.

"Right, I'll call her to us," Jace said, reaching out with his mind and pinpointing her location easily with his increased mental reach. "Is everything okay, Chandra? You seem a little—"

"Bolas is flying around the skies of Ravnica, of course things aren't okay," she interrupted heatedly.

Jace had a feeling that wasn't the true source of her immediate discontent, but he was a poor judge without reaching into people's minds and respected her privacy too much. With a slack smile and a weary drawl, he said," Then I guess we continue to focus on saving the world."

~~  
~~

A silver golem holding someone as far from discreet as an Izzet scientist was just about as attention grabbing as could be managed through the streets of Ravnica, which was quite the feat when competing with the medical miracles of Simic and painful monstrosities of Rakdos also walking down those streets.

Luckily, Gideon was able to ride his well trained pegasus, wings dutifully tucked under a blanket despite how uncomfortable for both rider and mount that was, and Teferi was able to walk beside, subtly incanting time to delay the reception of the visage of their motley crew, essentially masking them to passersby.

Upon reaching Emmara's home, they'd been told by a sovereign attendant she was actually holding services in Vitu Ghazi. When they'd asked where that was, the kind centaur that informed them had stared at them with confusion and hesitantly pointed to a tree that could have found itself at home in Yavimaya's massive forest if it hadn't been for the clear markers of society building into its convoluted trunk.

"I thought you said you live here," Teferi joked good naturedly, looking up to Gideon with a winning smile. He was the closest thing they had to a guide with Ral being unconscious. Teferi had never been to Ravnica, it having been completely off his radar when he was an active planeswalker.

"I, um," Gideon began, then winced and shrugged. "I have spent a fair amount of time here, but my boyfriends are more citizens than I am. I know the Ninth much better than the Tenth."

Teferi nodded at this, his smile widening as he recognized young love and what men would do for it. "Ah, yes, you said the war-leader of the…"

"Boros," Gideon supplied.

"Yes, War-Leader Aurelia of the Boros granted you that pegasus for your service protecting the Ninth. That must have been some work. Pegasi are worthy companions."

He lovingly patted the pegasus as he commented," If you would have told ten year old me that I would be gifted a pegasus, I wouldn't have believed you." Young Gideon had been quite at odds with the law, and unlikely to receive such an honor, especially at the decree of a demigod of sorts.

"On my home world, it is said pegasi seek out the pure of heart and will only allow the worthy to ride them," Teferi said, smile curling a bit mischievously at the embarrassment he achieved in sparking. Though, he was being truthful. A Benalish knight wished all their life for such an honor as to mount a pegasus and not be bucked to the ground from a considerable height.

"Dedicated, surely, but…" Gideon shook his head as his words failed him and started again," It's a matter of trust, I'm sure. Her Radiance trusts my work ethic is all."

"If your work ethic is what is being evaluated, and it was to protect the denizens of the Ninth, then I'm not quite sure there is as much of a difference between that trust and worthiness," Karn weighed in, his deep voice rumbling slowly as they echoed the philosophical cadence of his thoughts.

The pegasus nickered, seeming to laugh along with the clearly satisfied grin Teferi wore at how Gideon's ears were beginning to turn red. Gideon turned his attention to carefully guiding his mount up the stairs, though they were actually spaced quite well for equestrian travel, being that centaurs made up a large percentage of the Selesnyan clergy.

The deep rumble of Karn's voice had evidently woken the man he carried, he noted as a slight whimper escaped the huddled mass in his arms. "It's okay. We're almost to your friend," Karn said in his best attempt at a whisper. Jhoira had always said he wasn't built for stealth or discretion, and that assessment hadn't been unfair.

Teferi was too busy giving Gideon a hard time for being virtuous—and Gideon trying too hard to deny it—to notice the slight disturbance of Karn's form briefly superheating as electricity discharged through him.

"So you were on Dominaria," Ral mumbled, looking up dizzily at the automaton that wasn't a weird or a construct.

"Yes, with your friends. The Gatewatch."

"Jace told me you found a sword," Ral said, his eyes failing to focus and instead closing his eyes with a pained sigh.

Karn couldn't help but look up to the pair that were bantering lightheartedly, gaze drawn to the near knight in shining armor riding a pegasus, bearing one of the most evil artifacts he'd ever beheld on his back. "We did. Gideon is uniquely qualified to wield it," Karn said, answering what would havely likely been the following question as clearly as he thought he could.

"Dragon's breath, what does that mean?"

"It tries to kill those who would wield it, so few can actually hold it safely. Gideon is among those who can."

"Wha—why would we use a sword like that?"

"It has drunk the souls of many powerful beings, including an elder dragon."

Oh, well that was a fairly good reason, Ral supposed, though he didn't like the idea of Gideon wielding it. 

Karn hummed as he thought over the Blackblade, then added," That was a long time ago, however. I'm not as sure as the others that it will work. Bolas has had much time to skew things in his favor. The sword may no longer be strong enough."

Ral's thinking felt sluggish yet, but the logical next question was easy to think of and voice. "How do we make the sword stronger?"

The answer was both ridiculously easy and impossibly difficult. "Feed it."

Their private conversation ceased being so as a wracking cough left Ral and cued the two other humans to look his way.

"Ral, we're almost there," Gideon reassured him, slowing to a trot to be in step with Karn so he could better hear if Ral tried to respond. As he positioned himself to look down to his partner, his ribs protested, and he grimaced. He wasn't in much better shape than Ral, just more used to carrying on through it.

"Good," was all Ral could wheeze after the hacking fit. 

"Greetings," a voice called out to them, and Teferi looked away from his injured comrades to take in an impressively conflicting visage. A loxodon that stood almost two heads taller than Gideon mounted on his pegasus and had the musculature to snap an aged oak in two was adorned in the peaceful robes of a cleric and continued her warm salutation. "The Voice of the Conclave has been expecting you. Please allow me to guide you to her."

"By all means, thank you," Teferi responded for the group, sensing no protest from the others. The loxodon must have relied on a sense other than sight to find them, breaking through the light enchantment he had been using to disguise their presence.

His eyes warily raised as he heard thopters pass overhead, and decided to keep up his enchantment for the time being, even if the guildmage they spoke with could see through it.

The stairs of Vitu Ghazi were imposing from afar, and greatly reminded Teferi of the purposefully tedious grandeur of his time in Tolaria. Of things that made him long for his immortal spark and limitless power as an old planeswalker most, it was creaking knees and many stairs.

A general sense of ease slowly washed over them as they traveled with the hierophant, and while two of the party would need more focused healing, Teferi was appreciative of the life energy making their journey a bit easier.

~~  
~~

The heartwood of a tree was typically dead and rigid, a supportive skeleton so that the new growth could focus on expanding and nurturing its new life. Live, soft wood pressed against her on every side, perfectly contouring to her body and holding her in its embrace, meters from open air on all sides. 

As she tried to commune with the heart of the Selesnyan faith, the tree had offered to hold her close and sing to her; Nissa had welcomed the honor and let herself be swallowed into the sapwood of Vitu Ghazi itself, tumbling an untold time and space through the tree as Mat'Selesnya accomodated her form and sang gentle melodies.

Nissa's eyes were closed tight, but even so, the pure light of boundless life threatened to blind her, suffusing through her limbs and chest with so much power it would have ached if it didn't heal in equal measure. She could feel the Mother of the Lattice of Life holding her tight like she was a mere child in her mother's arms. The wood felt in constant motion, the pulse of life too great to quell for even a second.

She didn't know where to start, overwhelmed by the possibly divine presence that had engulfed her, but she knew she didn't have time to waste. Sending out a soft, but convicted tune, she hummed, _I've come to ask aid in a coming battle_.

**You are as I once was** , a voice sang, a complete chord playing softly and making the hairs on the back of Nissa's neck stand on edge.

The song was understandable, much in the same way her connection with Ashaya or Kefnet's interest was, though it was much more ordered in its form than the lilting melodies the Tajuru had taught her. She could parse it, if she centered her mind on the feeling of creation that held her. 

The connection she'd formed with Ashaya pulled longingly in the back of her mind and a minor shift in key mirrored her suddenly homesick thoughts.

_A planeswalker_ , Nissa asked, and felt the chord between them double in strength, the meshing of their minds nourished by the understanding.

**Yes, very long ago** , She answered.

Nissa didn't know what to do with this information, so she continued with her own line of thought. _A group of planeswalkers have banded together to protect your world from a great threat. Many of them call Ravnica their home._ Certainty shook through her with a tinge of shame as she added, _We are not strong enough without Your help._

**I know of who you speak, child. You need not endear my children to me.**

It was mused with some affection and levity, though Nissa felt flush with embarrassment.

**In the time before I settled within Ravnica, I once knew of the enemy you speak of, little one.**

The wood around her quickened in its movement, the live bast of the tree coiling around her and pulling at her hair and robes gently like a stiff breeze rustling through the jungle.

**Azor and I knew his threat, the threat that all planeswalkers once bore, and agreed that to protect the Lattice of Life of my home, I would stay and give to Ravnica, and he would leave and close our gates to outsiders.**

**So many wars waged, so much death, so many visitors that took and did not give back to the font of power… Ravnica was a dying plane, its once boundless mana inaccessible to her people, even nearly so to Us who walked the Blind Eternities.**

**Many who sought peace were willing to gather all the energy left in this world and sign a binding contract if it meant healing rest for Ravnica's people.**

A heavy toll of sadness rang through Nissa's heart as She reflected, **Few of us remain… Azor left after its signing, and I welcomed another parun back into the Lattice of Life not so long ago…**

Divine fire and the feeling of flight rushed through Nissa's soul, overwhelming but brief like the fireworks of Kaladesh.

**To forge the Guildpact, I relinquished My spark, and Azor promised to allow no outside force to enter Ravnica. It may have only lasted ten thousand years, but I am proud of what Ravnica has accomplished, and I would wish to see this world through many more millenia.**

**The power of a spark was so great that I have given life to this dying plane for all those millenia, but I'm afraid even the reinstated Guildpact is not strong enough to last the test of time. It draws its power from the child planeswalker's spark, but wields not the power that We once did.**

**I will answer your plea, young planeswalker, should you make a difficult promise.**

Nissa felt feverish as she waited to hear whatever Mat'Selesnya may ask of her. The weight of Her words were heavier than a mere mortal's, and were somewhat close to familiar like the brush of Ashaya's consciousness, and somewhere close to alien like communication with the Eldrazi. 

**The Guildpact, Ravnica… neither will survive Nicol Bolas's reign of terror without great sacrifice.**

_I understand_ , Nissa sang, her note in the chorus no longer weak as it grew to be brassy and confident. The irony of her voice standing out in the music that suffused through her wasn't lost on Nissa. 

Where the Selesnya drew strength from conformity and order, Nissa had been spurned by the exclusionary ways of the Joraga. She had needed to reflect on her constant battle with not fitting in to the world around her, and found solace in travels with the Gatewatch. It was now clear this insight she'd gained marked her clearly different from Mat'Selesnya's children, but at the root of her being, they still shared much, and the Mother to the Lattice of Life was willing to trust her children to an advocate of life rather than the whims of Nicol Bolas. 

Knowledge, not the endless searching for answers but the grounded assertion of natural sagacity, continued to wash over Nissa. Mat'Selesnya hid nothing as She provided the young planeswalker the promise She could make if her wisdom was shouldered. 

Nissa could feel her lips brush against the bark as she whispered," I accept your terms." 

Her heart ached, the bittersweet pain of having much hard work to do but knowing one was on their way to fixing what had initially been thought broken entirely. Earnestly, she vowed, _I will save your world as mine has been._

At great cost, irrevocably changed, but whole. 

Zendikar was whole, and so would be Ravnica. 

And then her body was moving. Guided by nature, sapwood opened in front of her as it closed behind, and she was almost walking. The center of life on Ravnica was a sun against her back, and just as her eyes had burned, her back now felt close to blistering as she left. Yet, all the pain melted into a sense of calm as she found her place in the chord. 

The song still echoed in her ears as she was eschewed from the heart of the tree, and Nissa called upon the plant life around her to support her weak-kneed form as she found herself in the overwhelming civilization once more. 

A sudden hush fell over a previously talkative crowd, and Nissa looked with some surprise to find many more faces than just Emmara's waiting for her to leave her communion. 

"Welcome back," Emmara said, calling her own elementals to assist as Nissa sprawled into the world like a newly born deer. 

Nissa stood up straighter as her sense of up and down settled, and she looked across the gathered folk with some confusion. Eyes halting on Gideon, she cocked her head to the side and asked," Is the Gatewatch on Ravnica?" 

Jace had mentioned that he met up with them. They were expecting them, but she was a little surprised they came so readily. With a touch of fear, she wondered how long she'd been in communion. She looked up to the sky and sighed with a little relief. She was accustomed to the paths of celestial bodies on Ravnica enough to assure herself it hadn't been more than an hour. 

"Yes, I don't believe you've met—" 

"Teferi and Karn," she said, nodding towards them in recognition. Catching the surprise on Gideon's face, she shrugged a little and explained," Jace ran into me on Zendikar. He shared what he'd learned on Dominaria." 

Guiltily, Nissa let her gaze drop to her feet, and she tentatively asked," So I was wrong then? About Liliana." 

"Funny you should mention that," Gideon said ruefully, crossing his arms. The insecure gesture was upsetting on someone as brazenly confident as Gideon. "She helped us. I couldn't have gotten the Blackblade without her, which did coincide with the death of her last demon…" 

He shook his head at the doubt that tumbled through his mind, troubled by both how easily he'd shown faith and how little it took for his faith to crumble these days. "She risked everything to set us up for facing Nicol Bolas, but we don't know where she went after we left Dominaria." 

Nissa's brow was set in a hard line at this news, but she could see how much Gideon was hurting from this turn of events and decided not to comment on it. 

"What is the Blackblade?" Nissa asked, doubting she would like the answer as she saw Gideon wince at the question. 

"It's a soul drinking sword," Ral piped up from the dais he was resting on. "That apparently my boyfriend is stupid enough to use." 

He whined in protest as Emmara withdrew her glowing hands, ending his healing at least for the moment. "I'm not exactly a fan of this plan either. It's dark magic," she said, wary eyes drifting to the blade that was covered but still emanated a ghastly chill through the garden. 

Ral sat up and began to don his gear, still grimacing in pain but feeling sore in the way one did after exercising heavily the day before rather than like he'd been dropped from a great height. Looking up to Nissa, his eyebrows rose with a look of interest as he asked," Did you have that armor on Zendikar?" 

"Armor?" she echoed questioningly, then looked down to see thin bark bearing impossibly intricate designs had been sung into existence around her normal clothing. It was almost light as air, and it gave a lot of free room around her joints. With interlocking bast and vines, armor had been fashioned with Selesnya's emblem across her stomach, much like the armor that adorned Emmara. 

Mat'Selesnya had blessed her to ensure she'd be victorious. 

Feeling the importance of the honor laid upon her, as well as the great weight of the promise she'd made, Nissa opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the very world around them exploded with sound. 


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not cleaned up as much as I'd like, but I wanted to make this week happen. Warnings for the general trauma of war, especially one where one is fighting beside loved ones and must worry about them.
> 
> On a happier note, I drew art for _Stitch in Time_! Please consider dropping a like, and if you really want to make my day, retweeting it too 🥺 
> 
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cur10usC0rv1d/status/1294793425506783232?s=20  
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Ajani once more wore richly colored silks with swirling patterns and heavy embellishment, ironically donning such loud clothing to avoid standing out. He passed through crowds of people and appreciated the changes that clearly stood out since he'd been on Kaladesh last.

There was a performer wielding pyromancy and a flier that advertised a simple form to fill out if one's workshop needed more aether. The banners all around were now rich purples and golds, and Ajani smiled under his hooded cloak at the progress he'd been a part of. 

After they dealt with Bolas, Ajani thought he should come back and spend more time with Grandmother Pashiri. Though it was so different than what he was used to—perhaps _because_ it was so different than his home—Ghirapur felt welcoming, now more so than ever. The heat that hung in the air well into the night was pleasant, and he'd grown quite fond of the heavy scent of jasmine.

It was almost dark by the time he arrived at the workshop Grandmother Pashiri had advised him to visit, but she'd assured him the artificer would still be working and happy to accept a visitor who was friends with Oviya Pashiri and Pia Nalaar. When he'd asked if it was one of the renegades he'd worked with before the Gatewatch came to Ghirapur, he'd been told she was a newer friend, but a well-known artificer that she thought would understand Ajani better than any other in the city.

He scaled many stairs before reaching the right door, and hesitated before knocking, ears folding preemptively at the metallic clang his glint-steel gloves would make against the workshop's door. It was kind of Grandmother Pashiri to commission new gloves that were lighter and designed with gentleness in mind, but they still were alien to him. Blending in was harder for him than many of his cohorts though, and he had gratefully accepted the new gift before heading out to meet her contact.

Ajani knocked on the door and then folded his paws by his lap, trying to seem a bit smaller as he took in the door he would likely hit his head on if he wasn't careful. When meeting new people, especially on a plane without people like himself, he knew his height and frame could be imposing.

The door was answered quickly, by a woman he vaguely recognized. She was looking back over her shoulder as another woman still at a drafting table called to her about an idea for whatever they had been working on.

"Make sure you write that down," the woman with metal strung through her hair like fine thread called, then turned her attention to the newcomer. "Hello there, how may help you tonight?"

"Excuse the intrusion at such a late hour, but Grandmother Pashiri said you may be able to help me," Ajani said apologetically.

"Oh, that's more than alright. A friend of Madame Pashiri is always welcome. My name is Saheeli Rai, and you are?"

She stepped back and welcomed him in, and Ajani dipped his head both in thanks and in an effort not to take out his good eye on the door frame.

The workshop was spacious for the city, Ajani was pretty sure. He had been in a fair number of workshops in meeting with various renegades and helping Grandmother Pashiri with deliveries here and there. "I think we've met, briefly," Ajani said as he looked around the orderly shop. 

Beautiful sculptures he knew to be complicated machines ready to gracefully move with a moment's thought lined the walls, and a large sheet of paper outlining plans for a new project was laid out over the table both women had been pouring over. 

"Oh?" Saheeli passed a second look, trying to see under his billowing cloak, then held a hand to her chest in surprise as he lowered his hood. This drew a gasp from the other still standing at the drafting table.

"A panther?" The woman with a thick braid asked incredulously. She looked to Saheeli, an expression of trying to gauge if this was normal on her face. 

Saheeli smiled and looked back to her partner. While momentarily taken aback, he must not have been her first encounter, since she rolled with the reveal rather easily and corrected," Kaddîska, I believe." 

"Nacatl, actually. Or leonin," Ajani said, a chuff of amusement deep in his chest. As she looked embarrassed, he raised a metallic hand and assured," It's fine. I'm quite used to it." 

"Nacatl," Huatli echoed under her breath, holding a hand to her chin as she thought the word sounded strangely familiar. 

Trying to place it, Saheeli trailed," Your name was…" 

"Ajani," he supplied. 

"Right, Ajani. It's good to see you again," Saheeli said, then held an open hand to her companion. "This is Huatli of Ixalan. She's a rather new planeswalker."

Huatli smiled readily, and offered a hand to take in an unfamiliar fashion. He did his best to shake her hand as she expected, and her smile didn't indicate any rudeness on his part. "It's nice to make your acquaintance. Which plane are you from?" 

"Naya, a jungle quite unlike this city," Ajani said, only the slightest hesitation in his voice. Naya was no longer the home he remembered it as, and it no longer existed in a vacuum. It was becoming more settled as time went on.

"My home is within a jungle," Huatli said, perking up. Finally, someone who might understand—and with a victorious smile, Huatli hoped this newcomer might settle a friendly bet she and Saheeli had. "Do you have dinosaurs where you come from?" 

"We have many ferocious beasts, though I'm not sure any of them could be considered dinosaurs." Ajani had limited experience with them, though he had heard of them from Narset while enjoying tea with Tamiyo. "Wingless dragons, right?" 

Huatli shook her head and said," Many dinosaurs have wings."

"I can show you some sketches we've made," Saheeli said excitedly. "Please, join us for some chai." 

Ajani's tail curled with interest at the offer and he said," Thank you, I would be honored."

He needed to enlist planeswalkers to his cause, and last he had checked in with the withering Gatewatch, they had no clue when Nicol Bolas would strike, and Tamiyo had only passed along they believed it would be on Ravnica soon. 

Ajani was exhausted though, and would not be planeswalking tonight. He might as well forge goodwill over tea. "If I could have my chai with no sugar, please." 

Saheeli cocked her head slightly like he had just casually suggested something scandalous, but nodded. "Certainly. Huatli, would you like to grab the sketchbook and show him to the sitting room?" 

She grabbed his hand to pull him along, startling Ajani as he quickly adjusted his expectations away from Kamigawa and Kaladeshi standards. Such casual contact would not have been thought strange at all among the Sunstrikers or among Brimaz's Oreskos tribes.

The evening progressed pleasantly, though Ajani was weary. Try as he might to hide it, Huatli seemed to notice, and finally after reciting Saheeli's favorite poem she'd written about Kaladesh, she paused and prompted," You mentioned Madame Pashiri said you may be able to find help here."

Ajani closed his eye with a deep sigh before nodding and saying," Tonight has been lovely, but I came because I needed something."

He regarded both women, curious if they would look offended or surprised, but he found curiosity in both. Saheeli was calculating, trying to figure out what he was about to say before he explained more, and Huatli was curious, likely putting everything she'd learned tonight into context she could use for word-crafting.

"I… A city, a world, is in great peril," Ajani began, his deep voice making the dire words sound all the more grim. He shook his head and revised," The Multiverse itself."

"The Gatewatch…" Saheeli's posture was always proper, but she sat up even straighter as a look of worry caught her.

Anjani couldn't fault her as her gaze became a little guarded, likely already approached by other Gatewatch members during their time on this plane to join their cause. He had to try though; he had no choice. _Until all have found their place_ …The citizens of Ravnica were set to be slaughtered, and countless worlds would fall after theirs. He had to try.

Bowing his head, he informed them both," Last I spoke with my contacts, they are arranging to meet a dragon named Nicol Bolas on Ravnica. They've already lost to him once. I, myself, have faced him and only just managed to survive the fight and circumstance was on my side. Now, he has had many years to build an undead army to invade Ravnica with, and I fear our small watch will not be enough to stop him."

"I already told Chandra that I have too much business to attend to here on Kaladesh," Saheeli said with a guilty bob of her head. She wanted to help, but many lives had been uprooted and destroyed by Tezzeret and Baan's misuse of the government's funding. Her friends like Rashmi, upstart artificers who'd never had a chance to break into lifecrafting, and many mages needed her position of power on their side. "I've been in meetings most of today fighting for rights and reparations for those used by the Inventor's Fair or illegally detained for magic-use."

Huatli looked between her friend and the nacatl, observing how the pain was held so differently in both their frames. She placed a hand over Saheeli's, her eyes warm and understanding as Saheeli looked to her with a conflicted frown. Her chest felt tight too, that feeling that came along with hearing others' woes and wondering what could be done that would be enough eating at her lungs. She knew what she had to do though.

"Your people need you, and your role is one of structure. You create great machines to ease the way of life for your people, and they look up to you for your guidance," Huatli said measuredly, her voice taking on the lilt of public speaking she'd been trained to wield since she was young. 

Huatli looked back to Ajani, and breathed in slowly, collecting her thoughts before she made a huge decision. "As Warrior-Poet, my duty is telling stories, though; and I can't tell very good stories if I let Multiverse suffer, can I?"

Ajani's ears perked up cautiously, hope growing tentatively as he prepared to have it dashed. "You would help Ravnica?"

She closed her eyes solemnly, thinking of how she would be most proud of returning to her family, and the answer was clear. "Yes, I've been given a gift, one to tell many peoples' truths. If I am to tell the stories of those around me, I need to give back to them as well. I will follow you to Ravnica and fight this Nicol Bolas beside the Gatewatch."

The Sun Empire was formidable in its art of conquest, and while she hoped to solidify peace with the River Heralds, she couldn't deny her people's training had made her a more than capable warrior. From what Saheeli had told her of the recent revolution, and the Gatewatch's participation in the liberation of many of Ghirapur's citizens, Huatli would be honored to join this planeswalker before her in his group's stand against villany.

Ajani stood suddenly, moved by her dedication, and found it hard to speak as he said," Thank you. We would be honored to have your support."

Huatli felt Saheeli squeeze her hand and looked over just in time to see Saheeli rise as well. "And mine. Kaladesh needs me, but Ghirapur owes a debt to the Gatewatch. I would need to return soon, but I will come with you to Ravnica and return the favor you paid all of Kaladesh."

Her brow was furrowed, her lips worried in a pout, but Saheeli held her chin high with resolve. She smiled at Huatli, who reflected the grin proudly and stood by her side. Huatli had inspired her recent designs in lifecrafting, and now she inspired courage and a sense of duty to the Multiverse. Nicol Bolas was the one who had tasked Tezzeret to defile their cherished Inventor's Fair from what the Gatewatch had discovered, and she wouldn't mind being personally involved in prying apart his plans like a poorly constructed thopter.

"When should we set out?" Saheeli asked, already going over the list of people she would need to inform before her departure.

"The sooner the better," Ajani answered, though he winced and admitted," Although I may need rest before I can planeswalk."

" _Be it the tangled jungle's embrace,_  
_or the pulse of the city's heart._  
_Life surges through you,_  
_as life cycles through all things._  
_You are a raptor,_  
_ready to dash through the underbrush._  
_You are a gull,_  
_gliding on the ocean breeze._ "

Her irises glowed like a jungle sun hanging heavy in the sky, and Ajani closed his eye gratefully as a very familiar magic washed over him and coursed through his veins. 

"Thank you, Warrior-Poet," he rumbled, using the title she'd dropped earlier in his display of gratitude and respect.

"I just need to let the Consul of Allocation know, or the very least her assistant," Saheeli said, already walking towards the door. "You can show us the way once I'm back?"

"Yes," Ajani agreed breathlessly, a little dizzy with how quickly things had changed for him. He could only hope the rest of the Gatewatch's outlook was so promising.

"I'll start donning my armor," Huatli said, her voice curt and serious as she began readying herself for battle. Her long braid whipped with purpose as she briskly headed for the clothing she'd stowed as to avoid standing out in the streets of Ghirapur.

"Thank you, both of you."

Both humans smiled at him briefly, and Ajani felt a hopeful purr build in his chest as he realized he didn't feel quite so alone in the Multiverse any longer. After a pleasant evening of storytelling and sharing sketches over cups of tea, they were mobilizing. He had support as he prepared to defend Ravnica.

~~  
~~

Atop Vitu Ghazi, they could only watch in abject horror as blinding light burst from the Forum of Azor, wrought lines of mana twisting the forum guildgates both obvious and hidden. Nissa cried out in pain as she dropped to her knees and covered her face, while Emmara clutched her chest at the wave of death that had abruptly punched through the Lattice of Life.

"Nissa, are you okay?" Gideon called out, but his words were swallowed by the deep, continuous pulse of sound leaving the rip in space that had previously been the opening square to the Chamber of the Guildpact.

"Lavinia," Ral whispered in shock, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Looking around in a daze, he saw the older man of the small party was chanting under his breath and noticed his own magic dismissing harmlessly as static. "Lavinia was on duty today."

The pealing tone finally began to break apart, allowing everyone to hear the wreckage of the forum and attached buildings settle.

"Lavinia was on duty today," Ral repeated, making eye contact with Emmara, who also had tears trailing her cheeks.

"You don't think Jace was…"

"No," Gideon quickly interjected, because giving full voice to such a thought was too painful to bear. His voice was uncertain though, as he continued," Jace was searching for Dack Fayden, who was at odds with the law. He wouldn't be at the chamber, would he?"

Ral shook his head voicelessly, trying to form words but finding his tongue leaden. He sank into Gideon's arms gratefully as he tried to condense his thoughts into meaningful words.

"Look," Karn said, pointing out to the source of the blast as small forms began spilling out, looking like ants from such a great height with their chitinous armor gleaming in the powerful light hailing their entry. 

Karn didn't dress up his words as he stoically observed," It appears that was the bridge opening. An army is invading Ravnica."

"B-but I was a week from finishing the maze," Ral balked, pushing away from Gideon to get a better look. He had specifically overseen the delays. He'd suffered through talking to Exava just two days ago to ensure everything was going… _not_ smoothly. "How? I did everything I could to delay it…"

"And that may have saved many lives," Teferi offered lightly, surveying the army gravely. He remembered the many conquests before the Mending and shook his head at the impossible greed and bloodshed of many planeswalkers. "But I've seen invasions such as this. We don't have time to ponder how it happened."

Nissa frowned but nodded. "Regardless of the rest of the Gatewatch, we have an oath to keep. We must protect life on Ravnica the best we can, and until we have more information, that's by staving off the zombie incursion."

Gideon squeezed Ral's shoulder reassuringly and looked to the others with a taught look of resolve. Smiling a little at their steadfast composure, he returned his gaze to Ral's, who seemed on the edge of breaking down entirely or taking down the army single handedly. Raising his voice boldly, Gideon said," For the citizens of Ravnica!"

Ral nodded back, steeling his gaze before looking out over the flooding army. "For the citizens of Ravnica," he said before pulling his mask up and preparing himself for galvanized warfare.

Ral watched Gideon pull himself up into mounting his pegasus, and looked over just in time to catch as Nissa and Karn jumped fearlessly over the edge. He didn't quite see where Teferi vanished to. Hands quickly adjusting his dials to hold nothing back, he looked over to Emmara, who was holding her hands up as her shimmering mantle of leaves began to burst with incredible radiance.

"Ral, with me," Emmara called, confidently grabbing his forearm as she crafted an elemental that could bring them down Vitu Ghazi quickly, ignoring the sizable cascade of electricity he was generating. 

He let himself be swept off his feet as he prepared to come face to face with the zombies of Amonkhet once more.

~~  
~~

As they regrouped with Jaya, Jace sent out his awareness to see if he could locate any of their friends easily, only for his concentration to be shattered by an earsplitting reverberation that shook the nearby buildings.

Chandra swore and covered her ears, shouting," Do you think that's the dragons?"

Others had similar thoughts, looking skyward the best they could. However, between the skyscraping spires and debris starting to blow through the air, they couldn't make out any such looming threat.

"That's no dragon," Jaya called back as the sound continued to thrum.

Jace's voice was still thrown, even after the dreadful sound stopped, as he asked," What is it?" 

The flow of debris had now built a wall of force, nearly knocking him to the ground. Looking to Jaya and only just barely tempering his impulse to look into her mind to see what she knew, he found her expression hard to parse.

Over the sound of shattering stonework, Jaya said," That rolling thunder was a portal opening. And this—" She raised a finger to the sky as a rolling sound of destruction continued to echo through the world around them. "—is a collapsing building."

"If the bridge has already been opened—" Jace began with a spike of fear.

"We need to get to the forum and evacuate as many citizens as possible," Lavinia finished, nodding at the call.

"I mean the rest of your master plan was to meet up with the others, yeah?" Chandra called over her shoulder, already running. "That's where they'll be."

"I never claimed it was a master plan," Jace muttered under his breath as he caught up with her. Looking over his shoulder, he confirmed they were staying together well enough.

The air grew hot like it had baked under a malevolent sun, and Jace winced as the familiar feel of desert sand coating his face and throat made certain he knew how closely tied Amonkhet and Ravnica were at this precise moment. After his island getaway, he was more than used to working hard under a relentless sun, but running in his heavy gorget and cloak was rather miserable. He didn't envy his companions who wore even more metal armor.

Civilians lined the streets, many injured or dazed from the initial shockwave, and Jace felt his stomach in his throat as he thought back to Amonkhet. The rivers of blood, the cries of children, and the scent of rot in the desert heat—Jace's vision cleared as Lavinia called his name, and he realized he'd broadcast his unease. His cheeks grew warm as he lamented the still weakened barriers of his mind, the stress of waves of fear from Ravnica's populace weighing on the delicate balance.

As they neared the Transguild Promenade that would take them out of Precinct Two and bring them almost all the way to the Forum of Azor, a crushing weight pressed down, sending all of their party but Lavinia staggering to the ground. Coming to a stop and standing defensively over Jace, she asked," Are you alright?"

Her companions were slow to answer, though Lavinia took solace that they were all conscious. Lavinia's serious frown deepened as she noted they all had graven looks of agony on their faces.

"It feels like someone's stepping on my chest," Chandra said through gritted teeth. She could feel it in her temples, a pressure so intense and all-consuming it was hard to focus on any of her senses with any clarity. 

"This one's new," Jaya admitted, not enjoying her moment of feeling like the old dog witnessing a new trick. 

"It feels like the Immortal Sun," Jace sighed, relying on his magic to carry his half-whispered words perfectly heard to the others.

Chandra began to push herself up to her knees as the pressure lessened, or at least began to filter as background noise. She gave Jace a curious look and asked," The Immortal Sun?"

"The artifact that bound you to Ixalan," Lavinia answered on his behalf, recalling the meeting in Aged Spirits's basement. He nodded, eyes closed against the strain that he, and presumably all other planeswalkers, could feel. 

He'd weathered it unknowingly for months, and even once he'd become aware of it, it hadn't been this bad. Jace could only hope that the initial wave of suppressive energy was more nauseating, and that once its control isolated the whole plane it would return to an omnipresent itch at the back of his brain rather than this unbearable weight.

"Well that can't be good," Chandra commented, offering a hand up to Jaya only to realize her mentor was already standing up on her own.

"It really can't," Jaya said, closing her eyes and focusing on her manabonds. "Planar bridges, artifacts messing with peoples' sparks… I figured all that was behind me when I settled down on Regatha." With a smirk that said she regretted being pulled back in as much as she missed the action, she caught Chandra's eyes and scoffed," Thanks, kid."

"If we survive this, I'll clean steam baths for a _month_ ," Chandra promised, flashing a wide grin.

"You bet your ass you will," Jaya said, then looked up at the sky with a firm frown. All the light seemed to be pulled out of the horizon and to a central point just a little ways ahead, making the sky both ominously dark as well as too bright to look at without her pyromancy goggles. "Well, that's enough pattering. We've got a plane to save."

Following Jaya's gaze the best she could, Lavinia nodded. She offered a hand up to Jace, the last to make it to his feet. Stomach knotting at what lay ahead, Lavinia kept her voice unflappable as she rallied," Let's all make doubletime to the forum, then. Come on, let's go." 

The sheer quantity of zombies was surreal to take in. Even before they made it to the open square, the metallic husks of humans, avians, minotaurs, and whatever else Nicol Bolas had mummified on Amonkhet over the years, swarmed the streets. It was hard to know where to try and intervene as such a large swarm milled through the streets of Ravnica, almost outnumbering the panicked civilians trying to run and hide.

Jace's fingers burned with the need for a cutlass—anything familiar that could put more space between him and the highly trained harbingers of death. He was able to shroud the small party in a cloak of relative invisibility, creating illusions of the pyromancers and heiromancer to distract the swarm while his real friends subdued them magically and took them out in brilliant blazes. 

"Jace, look!" Chandra pulled on his sleeve and pointed in the distance, which distracted him well enough that for a moment, all of his illusions fizzled apart. He strengthened the invisibility and drew up new illusions easily enough, but he still spared her a frustrated scowl.

"What is so—" As he looked the way she had pointed, the words on his lips died and his chest ached. 

"Lili," he whispered, his heart skipping a beat.

There she was, the mystery of where their last member had gone solved. Jace felt sick to his stomach as he saw the clear ties of mana that she was weaving to control the horde that was ravaging and slaughtering citizens as they pulled them from businesses and abodes alike.

" _Liliana_ ," he called out to her, bridging the significant distance between them with a simple link between their minds. His stomach felt heavy as he acknowledged the careful walls she had risen in her mind, clearly prepared to run into him.

Ä light shone upon his consciousness as she recognized his presence. " _Jace…_ " The woman was too far away physically for Jace to make out her expression, but he could make out the sudden turn of her head and shoulders as she sought to find him out. Relief and disappointment colored her thoughts as she mused," _So you weren't in your chamber after all._ " 

" _We missed you when we came to Ravnica_ ," he asserted a little accusatorily. The thought that she hadn't known whether he had perished in the opening of the bridge and the calmness she took the news with hit him square in the gut.

He watched as she casually raised a hand, a wave of destruction in her wake as the swarm she led was reinvigorated and attacked more quickly.

" _Do you remember the Iron Tower?_ "

He felt his legs become heavy, and his awareness of the zombies around him dimmed as his focus on her became paramount. Intense heat graced his cheek, and he assumed Chandra or Jaya had immolated an approaching zombie.

" _When I killed my last demon… I have no choice but to echo that day, Jace_ ," Liliana continued, and light caught and reflected dramatically from her chain veil as she turned and commanded a wave of zombies in yet more merciless razing.

"She's working for Bolas," Jace whispered, now completely still, his illusions having broken under his inattention. 

"Jace!" Chandra tackled him just in time to save him from a war axe coming for his neck.

Golden bands of hieromancy held the lazotep minotaur in place as fire burned hot enough the metallic shell melted to reveal the bone beneath. Jace could feel his heart in his throat as he looked Chandra in the eyes and repeated,"She's working for Bolas."

Chandra's expression hardened. It had been obvious as soon as she pointed out their old friend, but she hadn't wanted to be right. He'd taken away her ability to doubt herself.

"But she doesn't want to be," he added, thinking back to the tone of the now interrupted conversation. Wincing, he admitted," I don't think so, anyways."

"Come on, you two," Jaya called down to them as she weaved her way through battle and melted any enemies that got too close. "We're close to the heart of the action, but we're not there yet."

Jace accepted a hand up as he said," She said that ending her contract, no—killing her last demon—meant she had no choice but to work for Bolas."

"Where are you going with this?" Jaya snapped, ushering them to continue towards the bridge. "We've got a war to fight in."

"This is me fighting our war. I'm a tactician. I'm best scoring us an extra ally," Jace riposted, scoring an elated grin from Chandra that she failed to hide.

"Fine," Jaya huffed, focusing on another group of oncoming zombies that stood between them and their other allies. "Discuss how your old flame is betraying us to our benefit."

As much as he bristled at her rough assessment, Jace bowed to her implicit suggestion they drop it and keep moving. He had tried to help Liliana too often, and he couldn't help that she had wound herself up so tightly in trouble that she strangled herself anytime she tried to move towards doing the right thing. He knew she'd survive this war, he could ask for her sob story and redemption later; he needed to focus on saving Ravnica.

"Some of our friends sure know how to make an entrance," Lavinia muttered under her breath, looking up at the flashy display erupting from Vitu Ghazi.

Jace resumed his work confusing zombies for his friends to kill as he looked up and grinned. "That has to be Emmara," he guessed, relief leaving him in a sigh. If she was safe, it meant the other Gatewatch members he'd sent her way probably were as well. 

Chandra was at his side making sure he didn't stop running and leave himself open to attack again. Her sure steps faltered for a moment as she looked back over her shoulder at the City-Tree and frowned. "Really? An elemental of that size… I thought it might be Nissa."

Jace realized why she'd been so agitated upon their convening on Ravnica as he perused her surface thoughts. She hadn't seen Nissa face to face since the Gatewatch first landed on Dominaria—without him, his mind helpfully reminded, souring his grin at locating their allies.

He'd never been particularly good at guessing people's motivations behind how they behaved, the temptation of finding out exactly why too low hanging of a fruit. His time on _The Belligerent_ had changed that; just as he was adjusting to being around people, he'd been guided not to invade personal privacy.

Jace wanted to live and be the person he'd been aboard Vraska's ship. He liked that person better, he felt people liked that person better even if—perhaps _because_ —he didn't verify it artificially. Thus, he had been slow to understanding why his friend was upset. Months of unsaid and worried over conversation between partners was difficult.

Treading interpersonal relationships was a point of personal development he could focus on after the war, he thought grimly, unrestricting his mind so he could hear anything of relevance that might occur to the women that were protecting him.

"Nissa would be with her," he assured Chandra. "I sent Nissa to see Emmara when the two of us entered Ravnica." That had been a little over a week ago, but Emmara had said it was no problem for his friend to stay with her. That had been far more tolerable for Nissa than sticking at his side in the heart of Orzhov or Izzet territory.

"Yeah?" Chandra started, but cut off, a question as a zombie lurched at them. Killing it easily, she turned to Jace and hesitantly asked," How was she doing? I mean, did she seem—"

"Young people," Jaya interrupted with exasperation, lighting up two zombies that had made their way close to the two astray, lovesick morons.

Both Jace and Chandra blushed at the callout, mumbling to themselves that they could catch up later and focusing on the fight at hand. Lavinia sent an appreciative nod Jaya's way as she froze a zombie in place and decapitated it with her long sword.

The roar of dragons overhead grabbed all four's attention, and Lavinia commented," At least Niv-Mizzet is still going strong."

"That's overselling it," Jace said, worrying his brow as he looked up and saw a vicious bite mark gouting blood. He watched with wide eyes as Bolas reached forth and ripped through existence with his claw, only for Niv-Mizzet to barely redirect the attack with a crackle of lightning. They were past physicality, but Niv-Mizzet was still on the losing end.

"Shit, they're coming our way," Jaya said, adding a few creative curse words as she began to summon a defensive shield of fire over the people close to her.

"Jace," Lavinia called, reaching out and grabbing him to stop in place with her as the other two kept running a few paces before turning back to them.

"What," he asked, looking to her with confusion as her hand bunched the fabric at his chest and her eyes lost their typical sureness.

"I'm sorry," she said, unable to look him in the eye as she pushed him back and his foot sank through air more than the street should have allowed.

He looked down to realize there was a manhole to the sewer—and that he'd been pushed to line up directly with it so he may fall unfettered—and a shrill gasp of fear left him as his other foot lost its hold and the weightlessness of no ground beneath him made his stomach flutter. He only had time to get out one word before he started to scream from the fall. 

"Why?"

"I promised Vraska," echoed down the shaft as Jace began to fall into what seemed an endless pit.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week is certainly on, though I think I'll be taking a break the week after that. Apologies for any grammar/spelling errors. I really need to learn how to sleep one of these days.... anyways, hope you enjoy!

Dack wasn't entirely sure why he was returning to Ravnica, but here he was, falling on his ass while the sky was seemingly on fire. 

A ghostly chill passed over him as Kaya materialized beside him, and Dack looked up to her standing confidently, wishing he ever had that smooth of a planeswalk.

Her bold stance crumpled as she held a hand to her chest and asked," Is that normal?"

"Is what—? No," Dack answered as he felt the oppressive weight settle over him. He pushed himself to his feet and dusted off as he tried to figure out what the strange feeling on Ravnica was.

Kaya was having second thoughts, and while she hated not to finish a contract, she hadn't accepted any money yet. A feeling that made her very being ache couldn't be good, and she tentatively reached back towards the Blind Eternities. She swore under her breath as the moment before she fully left Ravnica was met with a strong force pushing her to the ground painfully.

"Kaya?"

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "We… We can't planeswalk away. What did you get me pulled into?"

"I—I'm not entirely sure," Dack answered, pushing the boundary of plausible deniability. "This is new. It wasn't like this just an hour ago."

She was good at reading people, and she could see a wince he was trying to relax. Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms and said," You mentioned two fighting dragons, but I figured that was the dangerous side of the plane. I didn't anticipate that being just an inconvenience."

"I didn't know that this was going to happen, really. This is my first planar war," Dack quickly bit out, not enjoying her accusatory voice.

"Planar war," she echoed incredulously. "You could have mentioned it was a planar war. Kill a ghost or two so a dragon can't destroy a city, sure. Getting caught up in a _planar war_ wasn't on my agenda this morning, strangely enough."

"I could have, but I was worried you wouldn't come if I did," Dack said honestly, brow raising as he gave her a look that implored, _you would have done the same, wouldn't you?_

"And why do you care so much that I take this job?" She recognized the name _Dack Fayden_. He'd made a name for himself on Fiora, and she'd heard it come up a few times on other planes too. He was a master thief that passed from plane to plane, rarely staying long enough to see the results of his escapades. She couldn't judge that way of life; it matched her own. It did make his insistence of getting her to Ravnica a little suspicious though.

He could see her calculating whether she should leave him and start finding a way off this plane, her dark eyes fixing on him keenly. Dack knew he had one shot at appealing to her, and he realized that no matter how long he'd practiced his silver tongue, he wasn't going to fool her. 

"Ravnica may not be where I was born, but it's my home," he answered, eyes glued to his boots as he bared his soul before a stranger. "The dragon who is attacking this plane is bringing an army of zombies from the last plane he left in ruins. 

"Th-the Guildpact… It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't spent much time on Ravnica… A powerful figure in the local government showed me just what the dragon's capable of. The ghosts you would be commissioned to kill would free a contract on our plane's oldest dragon, giving us a chance."

Dack wasn't used to such deep conversations with people he barely knew, but he wasn't going to put his comfort and dignity before Ravnica's safety. He inspected the nails on his right hand, forever stained red from the punishment he'd received on Alkabah. His lips curled ruefully at the irony that the governing body of this plane he called home had reached out to him in a plea for his help.

"I… I know a little something about being desperate to save something," Kaya whispered, her tense shoulders drooping. His earnestness resonated with her, and she had never been opposed to overthrowing a dead governing body yet. "So I need to kill several ghosts to take out this particular leadership? What's the price on each of their heads?'"

"The woman I'd bring you to can answer more about the logistics of the assignment," Dack answered.

With a sigh, Kaya motioned with a hand and said a little cuttingly," Well, lead the way. I'm not promising I'll take the job, mind you."

Dack was in the middle of thanking her when an inhuman roar sounded from above, and they both looked up to see two large, reptilian bodies moving through the air quickly.

Dack swallowed a little thickly before asking," Is it just me or are they headed—"

"Right for us," they both said at the same time, and Kaya lept into action.

Instinctually, Kaya went incorporeal and stepped into the thief's body like it was an ill-fitting suit: tacky, but easier to move undamaged while wearing it than trying to manhandle it.

They fell through ground, and she had been planning to pop back up a fair distance away, but finding a habitable sewer was lucky, and she eagerly shunted her soul out of his body in the safety of the solid metal sewer system. The two humans emptied their guts, the nausea of shifting someone with her ghostform never particularly agreeable, as two dragons waged war overhead.

"What—" Dack retched, then continued," What was that?!"

"Sorry, we didn't have the time to be picky. I can move through solid objects, and can take someone with me, a short distance."

"Funny, so can I, but it doesn't feel like _that_." Well, he could do similar anyways, with spells he'd picked up now and then that allowed him teleportal-like transportation. Dack still felt sick to his stomach, but tried to look a little put together as he steeled himself and quickly thought over the quickest path through the sewers to where Teysa would be waiting for them.

"Well I didn't see you saving us, so I thought I would step in," Kaya said, nose wrinkling at the smell that only a sprawling city could generate.

"Thanks," Dack offered sheepishly," My teleportation magic isn't nearly as fast. I would have likely been cutting it a little close."

With that, they set out to the basilica that Teysa would be supposedly waiting for them in. It wasn't too far, and their pace was helped by the fact that Dack was plenty acquainted with the undercity. By the end of an hour, they were trudging up a slimy stairwell back up to street level of Precinct One's West Plaza.

Given how dark it had been as he had brought Kaya back to Ravnica, and how long they'd spent underground, Dack was surprised by the radiance that burned at his skin. Kaya grabbed at his sleeve and pointed once she got his attention. He followed her gaze southeast, his stomach churning once more as he recognized a Chamber of the Guildpact to be gone.

They both looked to the massive tear in the world, sputtering metal zombies like a gushing pipe, their mouths agape.

"That's the army, I guess," Dack said hoarsely, feeling weak kneed. Zombies hadn't noticed them yet, too busy breaking into businesses and homes and pulling people of all sorts to bloody deaths.

Kaya swallowed thickly, nodding vaguely on information that she'd only half received.

"I—I need to…" Dack didn't know _what_ he needed to, but his legs were starting to take him to the glowing portal to Amonkhet. His world was under siege. The chamber was desolated, and Ravnica couldn't afford to have her Guildpact dissolved too. Zombies were attacking civilians.

"What—You haven't even told me—"

Dack waved his hand like that wasn't even important anymore, too horrified by the violence on the streets. "That church, the tallest stained glass in all the city… A woman named Teysa is waiting for you. She has a title, um, Grand Envoy? Something prestigious like that," Dack quickly called, his staggering already picking up into a run.

A woman named Teysa, in a church larger than any church she'd ever seen on any other plane… Kaya sighed and rolled her eyes, at the " _easy assignment_ " that had been abandoned at her feet. Part of her wanted to say hells with it and find a safe place to hole up while this war waged, having the ability to hide places most people could never reach, but she knew she couldn't stomach being such a coward while people were dying left and right.

Biting her lower lip as she gathered herself, she prepared to mad dash through the zombie infested streets. Her agility did her credit as she began her run, keeping the imposing church in her peripheral as she kept her eyes darting from warrior to warrior carrying intimidating auras and weapons. 

A spear stopped her in her tracks, and Kaya looked up with surprise at the winged humanoid in the air that had thrown it at her. Dancing on her toes, Kaya continued, unsheathing her daggers and keeping them ready to parry anymore unexpected strikes.

The bloodshed was overwhelming.

She could hold her own in the seediest bars of the Multiverse, bar fights and assassination attempts being nothing new. The sheer brutality with war-ready weapons and soldiers was frightening. Her targets had always been dead, and simply needed help getting over their mortal problems. The fights were intense, sometimes gruesome, but never so unceasing and merciless as the slaughter she now witnessed.

"He said I needed to take this contract to turn Ravnica's fate around," Kaya reminded herself under her breath, fingers twitching to throw some lunges with her daggers to save a civilian here or there. 

"It'll slow me down," she argued with herself, nonetheless jumping in to buy a few more seconds for a mother struggling to carry her child to safety.

She was really bad at being heartless and efficient.

"You must be Kaya the Ghost Assassin," a woman called, standing out with pale skin contrasted starkly by dark hair and eyes wise beyond her years.

Kaya looked to the woman like she sported a second head, seeing how casually she stood outside the church, seeming relaxed as she propped herself on a cane and in a formal dress that couldn't be very breathable.

"Who are you?"

"Grand Envoy Teysa Karlov, and I'm prepared to hire you for the assassination of six ghosts referred collectively as the ' _Obzedat_ '," Teysa called out, squinting her eyes as a pink mist began to descend upon them from a drake above that had been messily beheaded by a lazotep warrior. "We can continue our conversation in the vault. Follow me."

Kaya's head was spinning, but her authoritative voice didn't leave much room for question, and Kaya followed the woman into the church. The gilded halls would have inspired disgust had Kaya had enough time to take in their pretentious grandeur, but she followed too quickly, her blood-soaked boots making her slip as the cobblestone became marble beneath her.

She caught up to the slight woman easily enough, and roughly asked," What's the plan? There are people dying out there!"

Teysa looked over to the woman in foreign garb and frowned as she took in just how soaked in blood they both were. What a mess to bring through a hall with a velvet running carpet. "People die everyday," Teysa sharply reminded, then added," And many more will die today. The only way to lessen the death toll is to keep our dragon in the fight, and to do that, we must act quickly. How quickly can you kill six ghosts?"

"Okay," Kaya scoffed, her own personal adherence to manners a little thrown for a loop with the lifeblood of a drake dripping through her hair and tickling at her scalp sickeningly. "I get that you're some pompous, titled lady with a decent amount of sway on this plane, but care to actually _explain_ how killing some ghosts will rescue your dragon? I saw the dueling dragons… If yours was the smaller one, they're not doing well and I think it might be too late already."

The two of them had come to a stop in the opalescent hall. Black-veined marble lined the walls, framing giant, arched stained glass windows that each looked heavy enough to keep out the dead of winter. There were clergy running through the basilica, both coming and going from the chapel, and Kaya grimly figured that zombies had already broken in and there was soon to be no rest in the corridor either.

"Not that there's much time," Teysa said with a thin-lipped smile. "But I hold the death contract for that 'smaller dragon' and my contracts can't be fulfilled until the ghosts you're being hired to kill are dead. You're right, that dragon's done for, but his afterlife should provide some respite for this plane. Anything that delays Nicol Bolas and buys time for the Gatewatch to thwart him is the best way to spend our time and save the most people."

"You're hiring me to kill some ghosts so that you can bind your own dragon-ghost? Ha, that doesn't exactly line up with my personal code, sorry," Kaya said, face pulling a little disbelieving at the gall of these Ravnicans.

The windows they were standing in front of abruptly shattered, and Kaya silently counted her assumption correct as a shiny, dark hand pushed through and began clearing out glass to make way for their entry.

"This way," Teysa said, pointing towards a heavy door with an arcane lock.

Kaya began to let her hand fade into intangibility, ready to break the lock from the otherside, but Teysa raised a hand to convey, _no need_. She raised her arm so the sleeve of her stiff dress fell slightly, revealing small inlays of three jet-like gems, and the lock spun and clicked like the vault of a bank opening.

With the two of them inside, Teysa locked the door quickly behind them, then leaned even harder with the support of the stairwell railing in conjunction with her normal aid. Breathing a little heavily, Teysa took one full moment to gather herself, then clarified," I won't own the dragon's ghost. I merely brokered the deal since he trusted me after past cooperation."

With a bit of a lopsided pull at her lips, Teysa corrected herself," Assessed me to be the least conniving Orzhov member of esteem, anyways. You're looking for the fine print? I won't benefit from Niv-Mizzet coming back as a spirit anymore than any other Ravnican—that is, living to see another day—but I will be able to finally overthrow the Obzedat.

"The Obzedat, the official oligarchy of the Orzhov, my guild… They've been ruling the Orzhov for over ten thousand years, and their endless greed knows no bounds. They covet more coin, more slaves, and more endless contracts, merely so they have more wealth to count in their eternal unrest," Teysa finished with conviction, confidently looking the newly arrived planeswalker in the eyes as she lay her metaphorical hand on the table. If this wasn't the precise moment her life had been leading to when she would finally have all the pieces on the board lined up to provide victory over the damned ghosts that had ham-fistedly ruled her long-lived existence… 

Teysa felt hope bloom in her heaving chest as she saw the contrary expression on Kaya's face slide towards concern. "You're… You're good at pleading your case," Kaya said, brow lifting with unexpected sympathy.

"I've spent my whole life finding a way to liberate the Orzhov from their rule," Teysa glossed over, not inclined to reveal her title of advokist and cause Kaya to start doubting her.

Kaya found herself nodding, and sighed. "Okay," she said, much more agreeably this time. "This is a bit of a rush job. Last time I assassinated the head of state, I planned it out for a year, but I'm guess your ideal time table is sometime later today?"

"Ravnica would certainly prefer that," Teysa said a little light heartedly, holding back the lightheaded giggle that bubbled within at the tempting taste of victory.

Cracking her knuckles, Kaya bobbed her head in understanding and said," Well, you know this place a lot better than me. What's the game plan?"


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all. Today we rejoice for web fiction has been returned to us! With that lovely announcement, I think I will shift my update schedule to fridays, starting Sept 18 so I can take a short rest and iron out a few chapters that need beta work yet. It's been busy times, but things are looking good! Hope y'all enjoy the chapter :)
> 
>  **Edit 09/20/2020**  
>  I will be on a short hiatus.

Jace was caught by a web of spider silk, and he had to guess from the good twenty seconds he'd fallen that he was deep in Korozda. Heart hammering as he closed his eyes—useless in this darkness anyways—Jace took a second to shakily breathe and affirm he was still alive.

He was going to have such cross words for Lavinia and Vraska next time he saw either of them if some promise between them led to that terrifying fall. He held onto that conviction for all of half a minute.

"Jace," a familiar voice called, a clear mark of relief in its tone.

Sighing, he smirked at his predictable self as he found his heart overwhelmed with similar relief rather than the vexation he'd promised himself. "Captain," he replied," I don't suppose you could help me down from here?"

His eyes were adjusting to the dimly lit corridors of the undercity, now finding the ever-present arcane light enough to grasp his surroundings. Vraska easily cut him down from the safety net, and held him steady without judgement as his legs were still jelly from the fall.

"You made Lavinia promise to push me into the sewer?" Jace asked with an arched eyebrow, his relief at seeing Vraska and confirming she'd avoided detection beginning to wear away enough to reveal his irritation.

"Lavinia and Ral," Vraska corrected with a slightly apologetic expression. She led him to a broken marble statue that lay half sunken in the grime of the undercity, a place he could sit and recover while he surely asked for an explanation.

Jace removed one of his long gloves to run a hand through his hair as he breathed through the adrenaline. Looking at her as he held a hand to his neck, he asked," When did you even talk to them?"

"I parlayed with them while they connected through Svogthos."

Vraska called on her connection to the erstwhile and summoned one to bring a freshly steaming kettle and two mugs ready to steep tea.

Smelling the rich aroma and looking over with confusion to verify it was real, Jace objected," Thanks for the thought, Captain, but we don't have time for tea. I need to get back to the surface."

He must have realized he'd questioned the captain in front of her crew, though her tendrils coiled in an amused fashion to dismiss his worry. She quite appreciated how easily Jace flushed, and he didn't disappoint as he apologized a little sheepishly. Vraska beheld him gently, admiring how open he was around her—admiring how open she could be around him. They'd held an entire conversation about expectations in mere seconds, using no words.

It felt so natural, and she looked forward to a day when she could enjoy this camaraderie without a dragon and his promises looming over her quiet moments.

Her face fell as she sourly found herself hoping he had time for her now that he was returned to Ravnica with his numerous old friends. She'd made a promise with two of them—if Ral wasn't more than friends as she suspected—to protect him, and she would, even if she never got to partake in the fruit of that undertaking.

He noticed something change in her expression, and with a look of worry, he murmured her title questioningly.

"You have time for tea because you're staying down here," she said tersely, knowing he'd further object.

"But—"

Standing just before him, Vraska took his face in her hands, holding his gaze literally as she cupped his cheeks and leaned in close. She appreciated the understanding in his eyes of just how important her next words would be that it required physicality to impart them properly.

"You need to trust your captain, and I trust you to command my crew in my absence. I have an important mission, and you can't return to the surface until I'm finished," Vraska said, her voice even and earnest, her eyes serious yet filled with emotion.

His eyes were wide, mind furiously trying to figure out what her reasoning could be. Even as he had decided his scruples could be ignored until after the war, he took care not to peer into Vraska's mind. They understood each other too well to necessitate that. She would explain as much as she needed to, and he would listen.

"You have the bridge, Jace. I need you to command my armies and protect the citizens of Ravnica." Finishing her solemn orders, she kissed him on the cheek, letting herself dwell on what could have been for only a moment before steeling herself and pulling away.

"My talents don't extend to zombies, Vraska," Jace reminded her, knowing she'd weathered at least a few of the heart-thumping memories of his past that included his telepathy being useless against many of the lower undead. He held a hand up to his cheek, his blush having never fully faded but sure not leaving now.

Vraska shook her head. "That's what my liches are for. You're to _lead_ in my absence, not control. I know delegation isn't your favorite play, Jace, but you're exactly what Ravnica needs right now. Her people are dying in the streets, and I have a loyal court ready to listen to how you intend to put a stop to that."

Jace wanted to make Vraska proud, feeling the weight of both what she was placing him in charge of and the immense trust it required to put any of her newly acquired guild in someone else's hands. With a taut expression, Jace conceded to her order and said," Yes, captain."

A small metal disc attached to her belt began to spark, and Jace narrowed his eyes at the unexpected Izzet sigil. His memories still surprised him, so recently intact, and he couldn't help but spare a thought that it was the one hundred forty-first crest. He furrowed his brow as he tried to keep his mind on the very grave task he'd just been assigned. He had no time for wandering thoughts, even with his battered brain.

"Just in time," Vraska whispered to herself, priming the signet and sending back a pre-established message.

Scowling at being kept in the dark, Jace said," You'll have to fill me in when we get coffee on Tin Street."

"That's still on?" Genuine delight eased into her voice despite the grim times they currently marched through.

"Of course."

They shared a sad but hopeful look before Vraska looked upwards and called a vaguely arachnid creature to get her to the surface hastily. "Mazirek will keep you informed," Vraska said before taking off, knowing Jace's impatience to return to the battle above ground could only be tempered so long.

Looking about a small court that had gathered around him, Jace accepted the tea held out to him and began to assess the assets available, and work out how he could save the people of his plane from brutal slaughter.

~~  
~~

At some point in the gory battle she was embroiled in, Lavinia had lost sight of her allies. She had pushed Jace out of the picture, and she wasn't used to working with Chandra and found her difficult to stay in tandem with. Chandra's mentor had been focused on working close to her student, as much as the cranky women protested her pupil was a nuisance.

"Plaza East is being hit hard," Lavinia called out to a passing hussar and her attendant. 

"Understood," the knight shouted and kicked for her horse to pick up their gait as she pulled the reins to take her to the diplomat's district.

"Lavinia!"

Looking up and holding a hand to block the blinding portal so she could see who was calling her name, she saw the broad frame of Gideon riding a pegasus.

"Jace told me you'd be here," Gideon shouted down, launching a javelin at a lazotep warrior approaching behind her. 

Swinging around and finishing the zombie with a swift slice of her blade, she called back," What does he need?" It was good to know that Vraska's safety nets had worked.

"I saw Baan atop the Lyev Column," Gideon said, voice still thrown to reach her ears despite landing his pegasus little over a meter away. Metal on metal clashed all around, and that was the quiet noise against a backdrop of blood curdling screams and crumbling buildings.

Lavinia's gaze involuntarily swiveled towards the triangular fortress of her guild, lining the farthest edge of Precinct Two, still visible at such a distance because of its sheer size. He dismounted, raising his invulnerability to cover him and his steed, protecting others with his radiant shield as he'd found himself doing more and more readily since Kaladesh. His mount whinnied at an incoming axe, but didn't budge a muscle as they faithfully obeyed Gideon's order.

"You're best equipped to take him out," Gideon said, raising a buckler to cover himself and Lavinia as she swept at the attacker's feat. The ring of his shield was dull as it folded a little under the weight of the hammer that struck it.

"I can't make it to New Prahv quickly," Lavinia bit out, grimacing at the effort it took to cut down another enemy swarming them. She didn't express her disbelief that she was best suited; it didn't serve any use to say it when she already wasn't capable of acting on the information.

"My pegasus will take you," Gideon said, letting go of the pegasus so he could have both hands on the blackblade to deflect an incoming swing.

Lavinia looked to him skeptically. "What about you?"

"Jace is bolstering our defense with the Golgari, but he needs me to consult with the Boros and lead the host in Precinct One," Gideon answered.

"I've ridden a horse plenty, but…" Lavinia wasn't some Boros skyjek, a flying ace that had personally raised a roc to complete obedience.

"No time to argue," Gideon insisted. "You've got this!"

The same warmth he'd casually had about his demeanor when he walked Jace's sanctuary momentarily shined through, and Lavinia felt emboldened and mounted the pegasus without further delay. The gentle beast beneath her straightened their wings and hurriedly took to the air, trusting her to cut down the many metallic avians flying through the Tenth's skies. Thopters filled their path too, and Lavinia took a special pleasure in felling the spy network that had pervaded her guild.

The flight was simple, her steed knowing how to keep her from dropping to her death better than Lavinia knew how to hold herself to their back. Lavinia looked down to where she had left Gideon, wishing him to stay safe. She didn't know him particularly well aside from his renown in his work with the Boros and Azorius—and that he made Jace and Ral incredibly happy. She hoped she could fix her oversight after this cataclysm.

From so high up, Lavinia could see that the invasion was already spreading out of Precinct One, and between that and her first foray into flying, she felt incredibly ill. 

She saw large elementals corralling the northern edge, dividing them into Whitestone and Sunhome. Lavinia took some comfort in the mounting force of firemane angels surging from Sunhome and the reduced residential quarters in Whitestone since it had been built up. The relief was hollow; Whitestone was still densely populated enough, and there would be plenty of casualties.

The alabaster stonework of the New Prahv glistened lustrously, yet untouched by the nearing destruction. It caught the orange tones of Amonkhet's sun and refracted them resplendently, like it was trying to mirror Sunhome's glory.

"Just a little closer. See those steel arches?" Lavinia spoke gently to her mount, though she wasn't sure if pegasi could intuit common Rav. She'd overheard enough Leyv Skynights speak calmly to their griffon mounts to justify the attempt. Leaning into the flight, Lavinia mused the possibility of applying for a griffon of her own.

As they drew near, Lavinia could make out a golden glint that contrasted with the unnatural twilight afflicting Ravnica. She steered her ride to bring her closer to that window, her gut twisting at its eerily familiar light. The pegasus loyally brought her to the slightly altered destination.

" _There you are—you're moving so fast_ ," Jace's mental voice suddenly projected into her mind as clearly as if he'd spoken to her while she guarded his desk in the quiet of his office.

" _I'm riding Gideon's pegasus towards Baan. Thanks for knowing I would want to take him out myself._ " The end of her thought unraveled in its clarity as the whole of her focus was abruptly stolen by an incoming thopter that needed running through.

" _Careful when you approach him. Karn has helped pinpoint the location of the Immortal Sun, and we believe it's in the heart of New Prahv_ ," Jace warned. " _You have to get between Baan and the Sun if you hope to overpower him._ "

" _The Immortal Sun? I thought that just kept you grounded._ "

The exact structure of the Sun, its purpose, how it had been abused over centuries on another plane, the qualities of it, the sickness Jace had felt as he realized Tezzeret would be personally securing it as an asset—Lavinia knew everything about it that Jace personally knew in the span of seconds. She blinked, and she was that much closer to landing, having missed the seconds of the building growing exponentially larger.

" _I understand, Jace._ "

She could feel an echo of her thoughts, a calm in his mind at knowing she was confident in her abilities. It reminded her achingly of the simple days, back when he would reach out to her during a meeting and they could speak in a way she hadn't understood before getting to know him.

That form of open communication had pretty limited boundaries though. Hesitantly, she inquired," _How are you reaching me? Where are you?_ "

" _It's not safe to divulge that information._ "

" _In our minds?_ "

" _Bolas is a better telepath than me._ "

The answer was succinct, and with a tinge of well-founded dread, the presence of his mind was immediately absent. 

Lavinia breathed in slowly, running through her objective and the predicted complications she would face stoically. This wasn't her first dangerous apprehending. 

Dovin Baan would see trial for his wrongs against her guild and the people of Ravnica.

She tightened her grasp on her sword so assuredly, she could feel the muscles flex tautly in her elbow and shoulder


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fun war-time shenanigans! Fun is the adjective that should be applied. For sure.
> 
> My friend insisted I didn't need to thank them and I don't want to embarrass them--BUT!--let it be known my confidence to post this chapter is largely due to their hard work cleaning up my grammar. I owe a big thanks to the Caller of Dragons, who muddled through my excessive love of commas to make this readable. 
> 
> Trigger warning for emetophobia, general gross descriptions (violence, gore, rot, etc), and a spoilerific big warning in the end of chapter notes.

Teferi wiped at the sweat on his brow, hastily casting yet another slowing spell as he saw an Eternal swinging at a viashino child that raised their arms in futile defense. The zombie's strike dragged through the air like it was passing through wet sand, and the child ran for their life with a terrified wail.

Smiling, Teferi looked about for the next person to save. He planned to position himself close to the portal, in hopes of stemming the flow of zombies and saving as many citizens as possible. Though he wished he could be so charitable as to say getting there was half the battle. 

"Careful there," a man's voice called out, alerting Teferi to turn just in time to block the incoming swing of a staff with his own, the curved beak of his staff hooking and preventing the weapon from following through to his face. Teferi swung the tail end of his staff to catch the zombie's legs, sweeping the attacker to the ground, and temporarily pinning it to the ground with a wave of slow-time so he could get away.

His magic wasn't very offensive, especially against inorganic enemies. His best course of action was to keep from getting hit as he tried to weave his way to the bridge.

"Well met," Teferi called back as his eyes landed on the man who'd saved his life with a cautionary shout.

"I'd wish for better circumstances myself," the man joked as he slid close and deflected a javelin careening for them with a hastily cast spell, calling for a small gust of air to channel from above them.

The corners of Teferi's eyes crinkled with his hearty chuckle. He could always appreciate a healthy sense of humor in the face of adversity, and he said as much. "What, end of the world not your cup of tea?" This earned him a snort somewhere between annoyed and appreciative.

"Name's Dack Fayden, and I have the strangest suspicion that you're not from around here," Dack introduced. 

"Ah, the young thief, Dack," Teferi mused, sending out a spell to speed up a rushing Eternal so the lead it had on them was miscalculated and it raced by without so much as brushing them.

"Great, you know of me," Dack called back a little apprehensively. He casually redirected the tunnel of wind he'd crafted to catch an incoming arrow and sling it back. He had to get the most out of this spell he'd lifted from a fan of Kamigawa origin. "You're not going to chase me down too, are you?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Teferi asked," Should I?"

"Please don't."

 _There's no time for a witty rejoinder_ , Teferi thought with a cracking grin at his own word-play. He couldn't be wasting mana on slowing time for little jokes though. There were too many lives at stake. 

Voice unusually dry and serious, Teferi yelled," I need to get to the planar bridge these zombies are coming in from. I can manipulate time, and should be able to slow down their arrival. Currently they're coming in too fast for Ravnica's forces to hold back."

There were haazdas and hussars and every other militaristic band common to the streets of Ravnica out saving people, escorting civilians to safeholds and keeping the line the best they could, but they couldn't keep up with the Eternals. From the good look Teferi had gotten from atop Vitu Ghazi, they were marching eight strong across, three rows every six seconds.

One didn't need to be good at math to know that was a problem, but Teferi was burdened with realizing that it was two hundred forty warriors a minute—almost fifteen thousand in just an hour. The Gatewatch had said Amonkhet had been " _a corpse factory_ " for decades… He didn't doubt that Bolas had _three hundred forty-five thousand six hundred_ expertly trained, lazotep-treated warriors ready to flood the Tenth District of Ravnica in the first day of his siege. 

"Time magic, you say," Dack said, words almost lost to the loud winds, then whistled. "Can you go back in time and stop this from happening?"

"No, I'm afraid that is a little outside of my scope, even back in my heyday," Teferi answered, a little tired of answering the age old question that came his way when life was going poorly. 

"But you can slow this onslaught?"

The theories weren't absolute. They couldn't be. Portals that interrupted the planar bindings of the universe hadn't existed for decades—nearly a century—and this particular technique was new and untested. With how rare temporal magic was, how it worked through this new planar bridge couldn't have been fine tuned by anyone. 

He would have to adjust his time ratios on the fly, but Teferi knew it was better than nothing. This wasn't Zhalfir all over again. The conflict was already here and he was applying triage. 

"It wouldn't be the first time I had," Teferi answered, opting to be vague, the air of mystery slightly elevated by how his robes whipped around in the wind. Such a labor intensive spell would take all his concentration and leave him wide open, he needed to gain support. "But I would need cover. Do you think you could keep up that wall of wind you're wielding?"

"This spell? No, it's just about out," Dack called with a curt shake of the head. "But I have a few more tricks up my sleeves. Let's get us to that bridge then. No time to lose."

They both exchanged winning smiles, and Teferi had a good feeling about this roguish type the Gatewatch and company kept roping into helping them. He had a heroic quality about him, and Teferi was fond of his banter in the face of danger.

~~  
~~

Jace received an update from one of Vraska's personal attendants and gave a contemplative nod as he determined how to maneuver Golgari forces to accommodate the shift of the hordes.

"If they are rerouting through the Third Precinct, I need a Dimir runner to inform Emmara to strengthen our forces in the Greenbelt," Jace ordered the attendant, then turned to the kraul necromancer approaching him next. "Yes, we'll need to mobilize… Mazirek left you to control the eastern erstwhile troops, correct?"

The kraul shaman nodded and added," We are spread thin on the northern edge of Precinct One, but I should be able to send at least twenty to assist Guildmaster Emmara and her elementals."

That was a lower number that he was hoping for, but another necromancer stepped forward—a devkarin rot farmer by the looks of his attire—and suggested," The Gore House had a large festival two days ago. We could raise unskilled but plentiful zombies through Tin Street to give the erstwhile time to tighten the line for the Greenbelt."

 _There would be political repercussions for that_ , Jace figured with a grimace, but he weighed it over and nodded in agreement. "Go ahead with that," he decided. He looked to the kraul shaman once more and finished his order," And spare as many erstwhile as you can. They seem to be breaking into Precinct Two worse than One, and the district beyond New Prahv isn't built up to outlast a siege."

He dismissed the Golgari members assisting him and reached out with his mind, finding Gideon's mind with ease despite the distance. " _How is the escort into Vizkopa going?_ "

The response was delayed, and Jace could feel his heart race from stimuli he wasn't facing. Gideon's thoughts were beleaguered as he responded," _We ran into some issue with the gargoyles at first… and the Bank has already been infiltrated. The Vaults are closed at a power level that none of the Orzhova mages I can find can open. We're pushing to get people through Kamen Fortress._ "

Jace felt knowledge spin into his brain at the difficulty of this endeavor given Gideon's notoriety among goblin gangs in the Ninth. 

" _Keep me posted_ ," Jace said, feeling Gideon move out of his range. His telepathy could only barely reach New Prahv. Anything beyond Orzhova, which Kamen Fortress was a deal west of, was pushing even his newly reacquainted limits. With a tired smile, Jace joked," _Send an angel, if you have to._ "

~~  
~~

Kaya and Teysa descended the staircase below Vizkhopa towards the vault the Obzedat were waiting out the overhead war in. Together they wove a hastily crafted plan built on a frightening amount of detailed information. Teysa had mentioned striving her whole life to take this council out, and Kaya didn't doubt it for a second. She was able to create a mental map for Kaya to follow, down to the loose tiles in the final chamber.

Taking this contract was risky given the time constraints, not to mention her lack of knowledge regarding Ravnican ghosts and the sheer quantity of ghosts she'd be facing. Kaya had taken contracts to kill ghosts in multiples before: an old couple who couldn't pass into the afterlife together without her help; cleaning up after a gruesome accident that took out several resentful employees; and other small scores here and there that had her mopping up the remains of a few ghosts. However she'd never tackled _six_ at once, and surely not multiple of this caliber.

It wasn't like she could very well leave though, and she was more than satisfied with the offered sum in the contract. Kaya had been skeptical when Dack sold the wealth of the Orzhov to her, but he evidently hadn't been talking them up. Now she was being told an itemized list of what to expect; Teysa explained all she knew of the Obzedat, the particular nature of ghosts on Ravnica, and the heiromancy that bound them.

"So, ghosts on this plane aren't capable of interacting with the physical world," Kaya contemplated with a tilt of her head, comparing their capabilities to those on Fiora and other planes.

"Orzhova ghosts, specifically, and not casually," Teysa clarified. 

The clerical spirits of the Azorius spared no thought to physically filing papers in their years of servitude, and any soul captured by the Golgari was promptly sealed to a fleshy repository and thus erased the issue. The spirits of the Orzhov and Dimir needed to be a bit more cunning to wield tangibility.

As Teysa began to relay where she expected their limitations were, she bit her lip and added," They have collected thousands of debts across all the guilds. They very well may have any given subset of skills of their debtors."

This drew a concerned expression from Kaya, so Teysa quickly assured," I'll be running interference. I should be able to keep outside ghosts from getting close to us. Any skills they've absorbed over the millenia are out of my control, but they won't have extra hands."

Kaya wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea that the Obzedat "may very well" have the collective powers of all the varied spirits of Ravnica, but the guarantee that she would only have to focus on her targets offered some relief. "Are they capable of possession?"

"I've never seen a member of the Obzedat possess someone. They typically have little need to exert themselves, but when they have, their attacks have been ethereal lashes of energy, draining the life force from those who displeased them," Teysa deflected, honestly unsure. "They exert control through forced obedience. Hieromancy is heavily folded into the makeup of Ravnica. From some conversations I've had with our Guildpact, I believe more so than your other worlds."

Eyes hardening with bitter disgust, Teysa darkly added," Though my law magic won't be able to touch them in their chamber. That's why we needed someone with your skillset. Someone who can deal with them messily."

Kaya gave Teysa a healthy dose of side eye, but took it all in stride. Psyching herself up was difficult, but necessary. She thought back to the deaths she'd witnessed, and the dragon that needed her to succeed in order to protect the civilians that remained. The daggers at her wrists gleamed with violet wisps of her ghostly magic as the price of failure weighed on her.

Their descent ended abruptly before a colossal door inlaid with several tons of gold and precious gems. Kaya could see the briefest crack in Teysa's mask, a sliver of trepidation, and she knew that all their preparation came to a head in the next room. Forcing an easy air, Kaya asked," You have the door again?"

Teysa raised her jett-studded forearm, concentration turning to frustration, and she shook her head. Her Orzhov blood would earn her no more easy access until this was all resolved. "No, they've sealed the vault and stripped my rank. They must have known we were coming."

"Great," Kaya sighed, not liking their prospects more with each passing second. She wouldn't quit though; she was sought out for a reason. She was the best at what she did.

Turning her arm incorporeal up to the elbow, Kaya easily sank it through the vault door and found the relevant gears to open it. The chill of death settled over her, radiating from where she touched the vault door, and she noted that more than just her ethereal gift was promoting such a sensation.

"That you can push through their magic… Jace's contact was right when they said you were the one for the job," Teysa whispered, a little awed by Kaya's skill. Her stomach knotted as she realized Kaya really might just overtake the Obzedat today. She would need to speak to Jace about arranging a proper gift for his inter-planar network.

"You already got me to accept the contract, no need to butter me up," Kaya joked as she finished setting the lock crank. 

Teysa's lips pulled a little to the side as she closed her eyes and shrugged. "Getting a compliment out of me isn't easy. I'm genuinely impressed."

Returning the smile a little smugly, Kaya withdrew her arm and began to twist the imposing handled wheel. The vault door hissed as it released revealing its mizzium innards and the many lock components Kaya had bypassed.

They surely lost the element of surprise, but Kaya leaned close to the door as she readied to swing it open. She was going to need every second of cover she could get against her marks.

~~  
~~

Vraska followed the surprisingly simple directions of the Izzet signet she now held in one hand. Ral had given it to her and informed her that the signet he kept for himself would be activated once he found their target. After her signet sparked, the hunt was on, and it would spark brighter the closer she got to the paired signet.

Lavinia had guided Jace to the undercity so he didn't run into Bolas or Tezzeret. She had waited for him there to ensure his safe descent and deliver his modified purpose. Now, Vraksa followed the Izzet bauble as it sputtered static that arcanely pulled as a homing beacon to its paired twin.

She travelled quickly in the shadows, stealthed from undead and living alike.

Her heart was heavy as she saw helpless victims killed before her eyes, but she had a mission and the level head that came from her assassin work reminded her that this undertaking would ultimately save many lives. 

Pride warmed her chest as she saw fungal zombies rise and begin to hold a line between the invaders and civilians of Ravnica. Vraska held full faith in Jace to assess the battlefield and play the chessmaster he'd always touted himself to be. She'd been gathering her forces, repurposing the rot farms, having liches focus on mobile defenses… now her guild was ready to save the population that had reviled its members.

It seemed Jace had reached out to the Selesnya and Azorius, the Golgari Swarm working in tandem with hussars and infantry and providing cover while the hierarchs fervently provided triage. Advokists bought valuable seconds detaining lazotep warriors trying to enter residences as hussars and centaur cavaliers evacuated citizens and rode them to safety.

The forces on the street were already becoming overwhelmed by the storming Eternals, even as she ran further from the Transguild Promenade. Vraska hoped that reinforcements arrived fast enough. A host was flying in from the north, and Vraska could make out a few firemane angels among the ranks of skyjeks, but it didn't make much difference if they swooped in to smite an army that had already pillaged and moved on. 

Holding the line in the Tenth would prevent this catastrophe from becoming a nebulous cataclysm. It would be much harder to prevent the spread of death if they were free to raze the open chaos of areas such as the Rubblebelt and Utvara province. The clustered buildings of the Tenth meant that the population was dense and may rack up a high death toll, but the guilds could enclose the invading force and palisade the army while they evacuated people.

Even the Gruul had agreed to join forces, and Vraska could sense the trembling in the stone structures around her as she saw massive mounts being herded down the streets from afar, led by Zhur-Taa druids.

Despite having planned for this in advance, it still struck Vraska as some kind of miracle that the guilds had set aside their differences to protect their plane.

There was hope for Ravnica yet.

The buzz of the Izzet signet quieted—a small miracle in itself with how unnaturally it threw her vibration-based senses awry—and Vraska looked carefully to find where the man could be. It wasn't like an Izzet mage could very well _hide_ , and Vraska's keen eye quickly located him.

The start Ral jumped with as she dropped her stealth magic made the air around them instantly smell burnt, and Vraska quickly held up her hands defensively. She had no intentions of being fried, and she spoke up reassuringly," It's me."

Catching his breath, Ral sheepishly reigned back his magic and immediately asked," Is Jace safe?"

"Yes, and he's leading the Golgari to keep the guildless safe—from below."

Ral nodded along with this, his eyes having the look of not quite taking it in through a deluge of racing thoughts. "Tezzeret is heading for Nivix," Ral quickly informed her. "Niv-Mizzet dropped me in the Red Wastes, but Tezzeret must have been tossed in the Bulwark."

That would explain why they were in the middle of residential streets where the Eternals hadn't quite made it yet. The line was still being held before Precinct Four, in large part because Bolas's army would be hard-pressed to make it directly through Sunhome and its lining apartments, which were reinforced to survive Nivix's volatile experiments.

"You have eyes on him?"

Ral nodded, and pointed northwest, holding up a small, mizzium spyglass in some vague explanation. "Just a few blocks up. We should head out. It will be harder to catch him unprepared if he makes it into Izzet territory." Sure, Ral would be able to tap into extra energy sources in his home turf, but Tezzeret's style of artificing was much quicker than Ral's. The generators he could hook up to wouldn't be worth the amount of material he'd be giving Tezzeret to play with.

"Lead the way, then. I'll hide us," Vraska said with a curt nod.

Ral breathed in deeply as his eyes swept in the direction they'd soon be heading, and Vraska frowned at the tangible fear. She tended to work alone, especially on missions such as these. Nothing was more dangerous to an assassin than indecision. She couldn't afford to have her mark escape because of a partner's hesitation.

Holding up a hand to give Ral pause, Vraska narrowed her eyes and asked," Are you ready?"

He briefly met her eyes out of habit before remembering who— _what_ , he certainly viewed her as—he was dealing with, quickly averting his gaze. "Of course I am. That bastard has a lot to answer for."

Ral and Vraska had wordlessly agreed they would take care of Tezzeret themselves, not willing to place the monster's fate in the slow grasp of the Azorius. Neither had known just how familiar the other was with what Tezzeret was capable of, but both had known that they would do whatever it took to end him.

"Tezzeret won't pull any punches. You need to be ready to kill."

Ral scoffed and curtly replied," Believe me, I know." His voice was airy and anxious, but compensating in its sheer force. "C'mon. Let's get going before we lose him."

Vraska didn't push it any further, instead raising her natural magic and covering them in shadow and following him as he began to run the best he could as weighed down with gear as he was.

Indeed, their target was only a few blocks away, walking with a bit of a limp and shredded robes. He looked bedraggled, and Vraska surmised he'd had quite the fall from Ral's comment that he'd been dropped by Niv-Mizzet. Vraska wasn't so haughty as to believe it was an edge enough that she and Ral could be reckless.

She'd dealt with him personally, but quite limitedly. The little she'd seen of Jace's memories, he'd always had an environment of control, subordinates following his orders and providing the tools to strengthen his hold on those below him. Jace's fear had been genuine though, and Vraska trusted his evaluation enough to know they weren't dealing with an easy opponent.

Ral came to a stop, holding himself close to the edge of the building and spying on Tezzeret with narrowed eyes. "He'll expect me to come for him," Ral whispered," But he shouldn't know you've joined our side, right?"

"Hopefully not. It's never good to rely on an unknown factor, though."

Humming, Ral nodded and revised," You'll still be an element of surprise if I approach alone. How close can you get me while holding back so you can strike while I've got him distracted?"

Vraska pointed to a power line further down the street and said," I can't promise that he won't see you earlier, but I'm pretty confident I can guide you silently to about there."

"It will have to do."

Ral lowered himself to the ground and began slinking forward, melting through the shadows that grasped at his form. He would have really appreciated a proper cloak of invisibility, but that was Jace's wheelhouse, and he never intended to let Jace come face to face with Tezzeret again. Silence that would let him get close enough to call a storm upon himself to smite Tezzeret would be enough, Ral thought, already raising his mask and releasing all safeties.

The crackling of his drawn mana and the fading of Vraska's magic was enough to draw Tezzeret's attention, and the blond man turned with a surprised growl, immediately spinning mana through his etherium arm and stuttering the composure of Ral's electrical storm so it burst between them. Both men raised their arms to guard their eyes from the shockwave and sizzling mana, and as Ral's eyes cleared of streaking lines of light, he cursed and jumped out of the way of Tezzeret's projectile talons.

"So, is your dear leader here to swoop in and save you again," Tezzeret egged, countering another lightning bolt with ease.

"You're just jealous the dragon breathing down your neck doesn't care if you die," Ral said, lobbing another wide volley of electricity meant to distract. He had no clue where Vraska was after just seconds of circling Tezzeret, so he figured she must be moving into position. "Doesn't seem much anyone would, from what I've managed to dig up."

Tezzeret laughed as the armor of his chest began to glow violet, starting a deep, bruised plum and filling with light as some sort of engine whirred. He stretched out his metal hand for a streetlamp, bending it like a piece of straw and sending it sweeping for Ral's feet as he called out," Oh? Do some reading? That's why you had so many hamfisted delays?"

Ral only barely placed both hands on the incoming lamp in time to hurdle it, wincing at the pain in his knees as he barely stuck the landing and had to keep moving as another magnetized beam of metal was coming his way. Between wheezing breaths, Ral shouted back," For an underground mastermind, you sure left a wake of information about your crime syndicate that people were more than willing to sell for cheap."

Ral was good at running his mouth, but for as much running as he was doing with his legs, he hoped Vraska had set herself up well, because he didn't know how long he could keep this kind of legwork up. Wiping away sweat as he dodged another volley of metallic projectiles carved out of one of the beams he'd dodged, Ral worried he wouldn't make it long enough for whatever her plan was.

"Much of my dealings were offworld. With how pathetically you explore the Multiverse, I'm surprised you managed to hear much of anything."

Ral winced as one of Tezzeret's blunt missiles clipped his arm hard enough he almost fell from twisting so fast. "Maybe the Dimir got a hold of a planeswalker," Ral mused through gritted teeth, holding his arm sorely. "But I heard Baltrice didn't fare so well. Bolas raised you proper, but left her a rotting zombie."

Tezzeret screamed in rage, charging Ral. Just before he reached him, however, his etherium chest pulsed purple and Tezzeret blinked out of existence, only to appear directly behind Ral.

He barely raised his gauntlet in time to absorb the knifehand strike of pure etherium that still knocked him a little silly but would have surely knocked him out cold if it hadn't been blocked. Jace had mentioned he had incorporated Planar Bridge technology into his chest piece, and now Ral knew it allowed him at least short range teleportation even during the lockdown of the Immortal Sun.

Tezzeret was seething, and Ral grinned as his eyes were able to focus once more and he took in the desired effect of his dialogue. "How much does it bother you that the cell on Kephalai is still running strong, completely without your influence?"

A surge of vitality raced through Ral, and he harnessed a lash of lightning strong enough Tezzeret had to blink away with his personal bridge before getting caught. He suspected Vraska was aiding him from the shadows, and Ral decided she didn't have to show her face if she could make all of his strikes feel that imposing.

By the angry yell, it was easy for Ral to pinpoint where Tezzeret had appeared and turn in time to snap a wave of countering magic as he felt a tug of magnetism that attempted to pull much of the world around him apart at the seams. Briney breezes refreshed the otherwise ozone ladened air and Ral fought to keep control of the mana spinning into control between them. 

Tezzeret seemed like he may best him until a wave of enervating energy rolled across them. It struck them both, and Ral felt sick to his stomach instantly, but it clearly hit Tezzeret worse, who doubled over and dropped the concentration he held on their overlapping spells. 

Heaving labored breaths as he pushed back enough to make Tezzeret stumble as he dropped the next spell he tried to weave, Ral continued to goad Tezzeret as he quipped," You ran the Consortium for a little over a decade, right? From what I saw, they've only doubled their operations in your several year absence."

Ral electrified the air around them as Tezzeret sent his talons coursing through the air, and Tezzeret had to pull them back as they failed to find Ral. "I'm beginning to think Bolas brought you back solely to humiliate you."

Tezzeret used his transporting magic to jump directly behind him, and as Ral turned to disrupt his next attack, they both heard a snarled yell of," Monster."

Ral recognized the voice instantly and screwed his eyes shut with a decent helping of fear, while Tezzeret took a moment to place the voice and looked in Vraska's direction. Her gaze was piercing gold, hot and painful to behold, but Tezzeret growled out countering magic as he pulled all the steel beams and copper wires in the civics works around him to converge on her, the stored energy in his arm shielding him from the intense petrification magic.

When he was so focused on canceling her petrification, his manabonds so tied up that he had no resources left, Ral reached forwards and placed his hand to Tezzeret's forehead. His splayed fingers met the bastard's ratted hair and sweaty skin, and just as quickly as he made contact, Ral pulled his hand away.

He pulled every electrical impulse in Tezzeret's body with it, from the rhythmic pulses that carefully contracted his heart to the sporadic connections in the brain.

It was all held in Ral's outstretched hand, and he let the electricity course as harmless static down his body to disperse into the city's cobblestone.

"You'll never take a knife or wrench to another person again, you sick fuck," Ral rasped out, tears gathering and falling down his enraged race.

Tezzeret stood for a second more, the sickly purple glow to his shoulder and chest flickering out as his body failed to find equilibrium, before an awful wheeze left his slack jaw and he crumpled to the ground lifelessly.

Vraska watched quietly, acknowledging the haunted look Ral bore and wishing only that he could have picked a slower death.

That man had violated Jace and abused countless others. He deserved to rot, but Vraska would settle for death.

Ral stared down at his handiwork, a stupor starting to fall over him, and Vraska cautiously approached—barely stopping herself in time as he screamed and brought a lightning bolt crashing into Tezzeret's form. He held his mask tight to his face as he prepared to bring an entire converged storm down upon the fallen man.

"Die," Ral shouted at the husk, bolting him again. His shouts were tinny as they distorted through his mask. "Die, and _stay_ dead."

The smell of cooked flesh curled under Vraska's nose and she stood her ground as he electrocuted the already dead man several times more. Tendrils curling close to her neck as a stiff chill on the wind forewarned rain, Vraska cleared her throat. 

Ral looked over to her, the frenzy in his eyes dying, and he shakily reached to the ground to break his fall as he slumped down next to the very charred remains of Tezzeret.

"He's dead," she said quietly.

"He's survived that before," Ral mumbled, words breaking from the ragged state of his voice after such incensed screaming.

"Well, we can't have that," Vraska said matter of factly, her eyes building up energy again. She looked down her nose at the corpse, disappointment coloring her words as she commented," You didn't leave enough to petrify."

All the better.

The thought of a statue of the man made Ral nearly sick to his stomach. He abandoned his mask as he tried to quell the rise of nausea. Actually, he was going to be sick anyways, he realized, and he turned about to spew his guts away from the source of his biliousness.

Vraska kneeled down, the fungal growth that made up her dress folding under her as she leaned close. She reached out and gripped the skeletal excuse for a throat with more pressure than necessary. The magic she'd been storing discharged as raw decay, and the body rotted unnaturally fast, covering the work of months in a few seconds.

All that remained was the metal prosthetic and chest armor, and she rubbed her hands together as she gathered the specific energy required to melt away heavy metals.

"Wait," Ral said, holding out a hand to grab her wrist.

She wrenched away with a snarl, but relaxed as he backed off easily enough.

Pursing her lips, Vraska shrugged and said." You wanted him erased with no doubt. I was finishing the job." She hadn't been keen to leave him in any condition to be raised from the dead either.

"That metal is valuable," Ral said, inflection still oddly flat. "It has strange properties I'd like to study further."

"Well, do what you want with it," Vraksa said dismissively, well aware that everyone grieved and healed in different ways. "But you need to get your head back on your shoulders. We're in the middle of a war, and Ravnica needs you."

Ral still glared disbelievingly at the fuzzy stain that had once been Tezzeret, but his brow set with determination. Clearing his throat, he agreed," Yeah, you're right."

He gathered the mechanical remains and clipped them to his belt, lacing his silk scarf through the filigree and tying it just above the knee to prevent it from jostling as much as possible. Ral's harness cut into his shoulders deeply, and his chest ached at the extra weight after such a demanding day already.

"Let's reunite with the others. Jace will be relieved to finally resurface," Vraska suggested.

Ral had to hold his hands out to balance himself, but he pushed up to his feet shakily and followed Vraska as she took off. 

The streets were still infested with the undead, but many were on their side, and Vraska's chest swelled with pride as she took in the talented deployment of her warriors.

"I couldn't have done that without your help," Ral said as they slowed to a brisk walk, more care being taken as they reached a thoroughfare.

"You seemed pretty accustomed," Vraska said, not finishing the statement, but clearly implying he wasn't afraid of a little murder. She had seen new assassins, trained with all the necessary skills, freeze up and find themselves unable to kill. He hadn't hesitated.

She could also tell from the way he nervously checked the heavy weight at his hip and picked at it with chipped nails that this was his first trophy.

"It's been accidental before," Ral mumbled, even being mostly honest with himself, if bending the truth with typical Izzet precipitateness. He found it difficult to swallow and shook his head. "Nevermind, forget I said anything. Let's just get back to Jace."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for excessive force (magical violence) and character death, and the quickened decay of the body.
> 
> ~~
> 
> I want to get back into a routine of posting, but I'm catching up to where I have to do editing and fill in little pieces here and there. I am going to strive for every other friday, starting with Oct 16. As always, your support means the world to me. I read all the comments the last chapter got so many times, even while I didn't have the spoons to reply until today. Y'all rock!


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, whoops. A little late, but this chapter is _large_ so it took a little longer to edit than anticipated.
> 
> Trigger warnings for a lot of painful imagery in this chapter, and particular warning for harm to eyes.

The three planeswalkers entered the Blind Eternities together, extending their senses into insensate calm. Ajani could feel Huatli's sense of wonder, the still novel thrill of the act of planeswalking warming their journey. He wished he could witness a Multiverse that let such unburdened wonder thrive; he hoped to help secure one. Too many planeswalkers were weighed by hardship that only a spark could foster.

Saheeli and Ajani guided Huatli, though it was clear she was a natural. Between Saheeli's elegant form and Ajani's heartening aura, it was easy for Huatli to follow, and they emerged into Ravnica's crowded streets. While Kaladesh smelled of quickly cut metal too, Ravnica also held the scent of construction work, old marble buildings being demolished for new variations on the theme with constant electric light allowing goblin crews to toil well into the night.

Something was off as they arrived, the hanging dust of broken buildings too plentiful and baked into the air. A heavy weight of bloodshed covered the world, and Ajani crouched into a protective stance as his existence solidified enough to see the devastation.

Ajani's ears flattened against his head as metal on metal shrieked, and he looked up to the iridescent web that Saheeli had wound her decorative filigree into to prevent a mace from catching him from behind.

He didn't need to thank her, returning the favor as he lunged forward and caught a spear aimed for her back, the tip shattering as it met with his glint-sleeve paw.

"You must be Ajani," a man with dominarian robes called, and Ajani took note of the Tolarian magic he wielded. He stood a good story up, supported in the remains of a demolished building. Ajani hadn't even recognized he was there until he brought attention to himself. He had a feeling enchantments hiding him were falling apart for his benefit.

It was difficult for Ajani to respond at first, fending off zombies with Huatli's and Saheeli's help, but as they eked out a small circle of defense, he looked up and asked," A friend of the Gatewatch?" 

"I'm one of them. The name is Teferi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

 _Jhoira's friend_ , Ajani recognized from his brief meeting with her.

"Well met," Ajani returned.

"My name is Saheeli Rai."

"Huatli."

A voice came unexpectedly close to them and introduced," Dack Fayden, and these lovely friends of ours are called Eternals apparently."

He appeared moments later, the distortion field that had been shielding Teferi falling apart for him as well. The man was digging in a small satchel and bringing out something no larger than a grape, lobbing it over his shoulder at an Eternal that snapped its attention to him. It melted in a concentrated blaze, giving the newly arrived planeswalkers a chance to bolster themselves for the next wave.

"Teferi is slowing the Eternal's entrance into Ravnica," Dack explained, gesturing for him to keep a defensive line with him. Their work had dramatically reduced the rate of their incursion, though there were still so many that Dack was running ragged from protecting Teferi while he worked. From the occasional look he'd get up close, it was evident Teferi was tiring considerably as well.

They'd been slowing things down for hours, allowing for divine strikes from the Boros and a few Izzet-made explosions to wither the numbers spilling out into the district, but Dack doubted they could keep it up much longer. His fingers felt clumsy, and every time he reached for another artifact or spell to aid him, he was afraid it would spiral out of control.

Huatli sized up the two men as she gracefully redirected a spear coming her way, fan-like blades slicing through the air audibly. She had led plenty of bands of warriors in the defense of the Sun Empire's borders, and she could see the fatigue they pushed through. With no room for doubt in her voice, she stated, "You need rest."

"That would be lovely, but—"

Huatli cut Dack's sarcastic response off and said," Wars are long. You can't push through every battle or you'll fall."

"She's right," Teferi said solemnly, eyes locked on the spell he'd been maintaining for over two hours now.

"We need to regroup, rest," Ajani said, cutting through two at once with one swing of his heavy axe, and bringing it back to cleave a zombie behind him with the other half. "I can heal your injuries."

"Regrouping may be a little difficult. I've long since lost eyes on any other member of the Gatewatch," Teferi said with a frown. Nissa and Gideon were likely on the battlefield, but _where_ was anyone's guess.

Ajani roared into his next strike, furiously baring his fangs as he beheaded the zombie before him. "We need a _plan_ ," he growled, the echoes of his roar still bouncing through the square.

" _I agree_ ," Jace's voice rippled through each of their minds like he was calmly speaking only an arm's length away, and not in the middle of a war. " _We've found a building that's been cleared and the Dimir have set up defenses to hide us while we prepare for the next move._ "

" _Welcome to Ravnica_ ," Jace continued, still broadcasting to everyone, but speaking towards Huatli and Saheeli in particular. " _The Immortal Sun is currently in Bolas's control, but one of ours is liberating it._ "

The group of planeswalkers could all feel the sudden spark of recognition from Huatli at the named artifact, their minds twining for this conversation.

" _What do we intend to do when we secure it?_ Saheeli asked in return, eyes flitting from the servo she was quickly crafting to Huatli to gauge her thoughts on this revelation.

" _Securing it is paramount so that Bolas can't control when we can come and go, and can't decide on whim to leave himself. Use of the artifact itself will need to be determined once we know more about it._ "

"You'll need back up so you can focus on studying it," Huatli said, raising her blade with determination.

"Yes," Saheeli said with a bob of her head, then focused her mind on the thread pulling at her thoughts once more. " _Ajani can escort Teferi and Dack to your hideout, while Huatli guards me._ "

" _You must be reading my mind_ ," Jace replied with a hint of amusement. Then his mental voice took a more serious tone as he asked," _Are you ready for me to impart the way through New Prahv?_ "

The idea that it was an innocuous intrusion of the mind, but rather intense at first became apparent. Huatli thought briefly that she didn't know how she could know she was ready for such a strange proposition, but she said," Any help you can give us. We've come to help Ravnica in whatever way we can."

Gratitude wound through both their minds, quickly followed by the intricately placed knowledge they would need.

~~  
~~

Lavinia batted another thopter to the ground, her sword renting through its hull and snapping vital cords. 

She had never expected to find herself in an unsanctioned duel in the midst of the Hall of Distinction, entering an antechamber to one of the countless courtrooms. The steel enforced marble walls were plain with sparse designs, repetitive throughout the columns. 

Dovin expertly wound them through the halls so they never entered a room that held staches of scrolls for her spellwork. It showed just how familiar with the labyrinthine building both fighters were, and Lavinia had to grudgingly acknowledge Dovin was committed.

His eyes gleamed crimson as he categorized every error in her form. Her stance was too wide; her step should have been a pivot; and her sword arm was held at the wrong angle for a closed stance.

As yet another red trail effused from her improper swing, Dovin Baan tsked at the sloppiness that had been allowed to fester before he stepped in to fix the Azorius.

Baan casually lifted a hand, deploying two thopters from the wings of the jury's bench, and appreciated the short work Lavinia made of them. It was a shame someone of such high station and clear dedication had to be ousted to return order, but Baan had always been a pragmatist; if a flywheel was bent, it had to be replaced.

Lavinia tracked how the hulls of the thopters she cut through were reclaimed by various servos as Baan circled in such a way to pass by the gutted remains of his craft. Small interlocking metal twines salvaged parts here and there, and with little attention from the artificer, the thopter parts were quickly reassembled into similar shapes to their previous incarnations.

Reaching for a scroll, Lavinia quickly incanted a spell to freeze the two newly crafted thopters momentarily; she needed to pull ahead in this fight, as it seemed his resources were infinite, while hers were severely depleted from months of disgrace and fighting with everything she had to protect the people of the Tenth upon the beginning of the invasion.

"Trying to lead me into an archival hall won't work," Dovin Baan said as he side stepped a clear advancement intended to push him through a nearing doorway. "While serving this post, I of course have noted your ilk's reliance on Guildpact texts."

Lavinia gritted her teeth as she parried a thopter that derailed her course, and she frustratedly ground out," Why insert yourself into a government you hold disdain for?"

"For with which you hold disdain," Baan corrected.

She squared her shoulders as she braced herself for a thopter fly by, having caught the movement from behind her in the pristine reflections of the hall's floors. Swinging her shoulders with a backwards lunge, Lavinia twisted and followed through with a second strike to cut the attacking thopter into small enough pieces she doubted he could salvage anything.

"I have a few bigger concerns than grammar," Lavinia responded, keeping a witty rejoinder she felt Ral would have appreciated to herself.

"There is always time to properly enforce grammar," Baan insisted with the tone one usually reserved for speaking to a curious child. "It is by keeping one's mind disciplined the individual may discern the weakness of the systems one inhabits and improve upon them."

Lavinia kept her face neutral, even through the intensive motion of combat, but couldn't help but narrow her eyes as she stared him down. "Discipline means nothing when it is a tool in blind exploitation," Lavinia argued, throwing her strained voice to overcome the clash of steel and brass.

"You betrayed Isperia''s trust and have laid siege to a world you promised to enforce peace _on_." A subtle smirk took hold as she noted his eye twitch at her intentional blunder. 

"The Guildpact is a flawed form of governance. It relies on the premise the guilds want to cooperate, when that is antithetical to the truth. The Azorius seek order, and I promised to deliver it upon them. A faulty engine must be pried open before it can be fixed."

"That doesn't explain why you were willing to invade my home in the first place. You came to the Gatewatch and asked for help with your own world's government. What made you think you had the right to bring ' _salvation to Ravnica_ ', much less _could_ , when the Renegades were in open defiance on Kaladesh?"

"The Consulate's reluctance to put an end to the nuisance the Renegades posed was a weakness that cannot be fixed without explosive change. After Bolas claims his quarry, he will remove the weak disposition of law from Ravnica. It will take a few years, but we will create a perfect government, one worth establishing on Kaladesh."

Lavinia dismissed a spell to expend his energy, knowing he'd push through her low level counter to enforce what he believed to be the best thing to cast during this situation. He was certain in himself, she knew. He was confident in his skills and experience to a fault, willing to dismiss a whole plane's government before attempting to exemplify its own values and inspire the people towards harmony. Dovin Baan valued efficiency over stability, and as much as her friends liked to rib her for Azorius procedure's slowness, she knew in her heart that it was better to examine the potential ramifications and do one's best to limit negative consequences than to summarily renounce one's right to live.

Reflecting on the many swift shifts in Azorius edicts, Lavinia questioned if the guild she'd joined had ever been what she'd idealized it to be during her life. Even in the years of direction leading up to and following Augustin IV, massive shifts decreed by the hands of a few had led to a massive death toll, and the casualties still affected politics and people through this day. No one should have ever had the discrete capacity to redesign Ravnica's law or initiate the raid that led to Vraska's imprisonment. How much strife had such actions led to on the account of one person's perception of reality?

Squinting with distrust, Lavinia locked eyes with Dovin Baan and knew he was the sort of despot who would have no qualms with enacting sudden doctrine if he judged the results to enable his vision, no matter the toll it would present to those he deemed uncivilized.

"I've already calculated your Gatewatch's chances of victory," Baan said, swiftly sending another thopter back to the field as he backed away from a broad stroke of steel. He was nimble for his age, but didn't have the strength to parry a strike from the arrestor. His barrage of thopters he could deftly sling repeatedly would stall her long enough that he could keep the Immortal Sun active through Bolas's plans.

"You said the Guildpact was inherently flawed because the Guilds couldn't cooperate," Lavinia recalled through gritted teeth, keeping her eyes on yet another incoming thopter as her footwork carried her around Baan to cut off his current evasive route.

"That is correct," Baan agreed, no air of smugness defiling his apathetic assessment.

Lavinia's footing was off, favoring her left foot as it had been, and she noted how red light highlighted the error and how Baan exploited the misstep near instantly. Glancing up from her feet, she said," Then all of your calculations, as meticulous as I'm sure they are, will be irremediably flawed."

"My mathematical competence being in question is—"

"I don't doubt your math," Lavinia interrupted a little shortly, her breath reserved for a strong lunge. She pierced a thopter with her longsword just before it got too close. She rechambered her sword loosely, weakening the power it should have had in her next quick slash. The speed of the thopters assaulting her was still enough paired with her firm hold to slice the thopter in twain despite longswords not being particularly known for their sharpness.

"No matter how precise your math is though, your numbers will be wrong if you didn't factor in all the starting variables."

A look of panic took over for the briefest of moments, a stark contrast to unending composure vedalkens were infamous for and the particular brand of calmness with which Dovin Baan had tackled many decisive hearings and hall meetings. His voice was even as he asked," What are you accusing me of forgetting?"

The light machine work of his daily wear whirred particularly loudly as he relied on its mechanical precision and speed to duck his body before a punch connected with his face. All twelve of his digits artfully wove a dismissal of the band of light wrapped around her fist that she'd nearly hit him with. Baan chided himself for not foreseeing her abandonment of proper Lyev protocol after all of her previous departures from its strict form.

"You didn't forget, so much as improperly gauge the ability of the guilds to cooperate," Lavinia said, then took a step forward and over-corrected to the right.

Dovin Baan hadn't foreseen the error he made until he was grasping the sword cutting into his abdomen. "But your form…" 

She'd favored her left…

"I was a Lyev recruit," Lavinia said, grasping and ripping the whorls and filigree away from his wound. The delicate piece of brass cut into her fingers, and the resulting smearing of her own blood over his deep injury was far from sanitary, but it was better than the automated servos of his broken exoskeleton crushing vital organs as it rent further into his side. "I have proper form ingrained so deeply I could execute any step or sweep with perfect accuracy in my sleep."

She knelt with him, groaning at the effort of slowing his fall as she rested him to the ground. His red eyes looked up to her wearily, and he muttered," I was going to bring order to Ravnica."

"You brought death," Lavinia responded, assessing just how much damage she'd inflicted and sighing. "You will face trial for your deeds. I will see to that."

She placed a hand over his wounded side, and chanted stabilizing magic. She wasn't proficient in healing, but she could delay his bleeding out until she could get him proper healing.

Standing back up, Lavinia used her scroll of binding and restrained him so he may not free himself and placed a sigil of warding around him so no one but she could aid him. She felt a little guilty for the sheer agony she was leaving him in, but she had important business to see to. She didn't know how to switch off the Immortal Sun, but _she didn't need to worry about it._

Lavinia blinked at the interruption of her thoughts, recognizing a second later that Jace was checking in on her.

" _I'm sending two people your way, if you could focus on locating it. Good work taking out Baan._ "

Lavinia smirked and nodded, thinking back," _Thank you. I've missed the hands on work of being an arrestor._ "

She took her position as Deputy to the Living Guildpact seriously and with honor, but it lacked a certain physicality since she couldn't go chasing down Jace when he planeswalked away. Turning back to the seal in progress, Lavinia held out a writ and began the official arrest.

"Dovin Baan, you are formally under arrest by my authority as Deputy to the Living Guildpact, facing charges of high treason, conspiracy, and dangerous operation of an airborne machine. Your custody is to be deferred no longer than thirty-six hours, upon which time you will be assigned an advokist if you do not have one in retention," Lavinia decreed, finishing the seal that would hold him until she could complete the proper paperwork to schedule arraignment.

~~  
~~

The two of them were making quick time, slinking back from Tezzeret's execution, back towards where Vraska had left Jace. Vraska had their footsteps silent once more; and while tragic in the grand scope of things, it looked like the area of town they were currently traveling through had already been cleared out by Eternals, ensuring uninterrupted travel. 

They had to travel a little slower than Vraska was used to, Ral already not a marathoner and now weighed down immeasurably by exhaustion and Tezzeret's etherium limb and chest. He was having to spin more and more red mana into his footfalls just to keep up with her, and Vraska was making a point to ease her pace.

Vraska wasn't exactly feeling her best either. She'd burned through a lot of her innate magic in that fight and was now relying on her years of hard living, scraping together whatever mana she could feel to make do. 

"Do we need to slow down?" She asked softly, her magic whispering directly into his ear as she had trained for stealth missions.

Ral visibly cringed at the chill of her magic and shook his head. He forced out words, though they were a little slurred from how bleary-eyed he was already," No. We're almost there, right?"

"Another twenty minutes at this rate, give or take," Vraska answered, doubting even more that he had the energy to make it at their current pace. His eyes were glazed over and weren't tracking the world around them anymore, likely in a bout of tunnel-vision in his focus to reach his destination despite his flagging energy.

She held up a hand for him to slow down with her, but he wasn't paying attention and continued several long strides before looking back to where she'd fallen back. She watched him trip and stumble to catch his footing as he tried to match her speed.

"Apologies, but I don't think Jace would appreciate it if I returned you falling apart."

Ral glared back as she strode up to him, and he argued," I was keeping pace _just fine_ , thank you."

Vraska crossed her arms and shot him back a look that plainly questioned his statement.

"I was… Just… Fine, whatever. Let's just keep walking." Ral scowled as he resumed a brisk walk, hands holding on to his leather straps to support the extra weight better. He couldn't hide his haggard breathing, which only drew more ire and static from him. 

Only a few steps in, head bowed and feet barely clearing the ground as they slid forward, Ral stopped and looked upwards with a screwed up expression. "Do you hear that?"

Vraska paused and let her tendrils spread slowly to maximize her senses, brow scrunching as she asked," Hear what?"

"I don't know, it's like I'm in the heart of a boiler," Ral said, raising his voice with a current of panic as the noise swelled. He clawed at his ears as it got louder and louder, reaching the unbearable levels of a shift in the Boilerworks. "It's—I'm…"

Ral staggered and took a knee as he squeezed his eyes shut at a sudden blinding flash.

"Zarek," Vraska called, holding out a hand but not daring to approach. Arcs of electricity were starting to shed from him and make a lethal barrier over a meter out. 

Ral wearily wondered, _was this a panic attack?_ It didn't feel like the ones he'd had, though it also felt like he was dying now. He sank down on himself, his plundered tech and familiar gear rattling against the stonework beneath him as he let his forehead collide with the abrasive ground and cried out at the pain swelling behind his eyes. Light streamed through his vision even as he cocooned his head in his arms and squeezed his eyes shut, and he stutteringly cursed out its brightness and the agony it caused him.

Vraska watched on, her stomach in her throat, unsure of what she should do. She was familiar with pain, doling out and receiving, but she uncomfortably noted there was no clear source. There was no obvious action she could take to help, and she'd sooner march into the pits of Rix Maadi before leaving him behind and disappointing Jace.

"Zarek," she screamed, having to put her full captain's voice to good use just to compete with the rising winds. "My silence spell isn't going to cover a full storm!"

The winds came to a crashing halt, debris clattering to the ground all about soundlessly as her personal field of silence warped the sound around them. Vraska looked around uncertainly, knowing the calm before a storm applied as faithfully to an Izzet mage as it did to the open waters. 

As her eyes trailed back to Ral, she watched as he sat up on his feet, posture loose and face slack as he looked up to the sky.

" _Do not fight this,_ " Niv-Mizzet's voice curled within his mind, crystal clear in the midst of what Ral now recognized was the sound of being burned alive echoing in his ears. " _You will see to my revenge. This is your final assignment, head researcher._ "

"Yes, Your Firemind," Ral all but breathed, obediently dropping the cool mana that he'd been instinctively gathering to counter this magical strike against him.

The pressure that had gathered behind his eyes released in a brilliant blue explosion of flame with licks of pure gold and crimson circling through the column of fire he breathed in tandem. He could feel several bolts of lightning converge on his person, and in the most overwhelming flow of mana he'd ever experienced, he could see the entire precinct and its inhabitants.

He screamed through the fire, though it sounded in his ears like more of a roar with a dragon's might behind it. Vraska's presence was solid in his mind, his senses so crisp with the generated static field, he could tell she looked away and held her hands before her face for cover. Ral sculpted the storm of lightning and flame around her, insulating her from the onslaught that inspired as much exhilaration as it did pain throughout his whole body.

The final kick of the blast connected what could have only been seconds later, and Ral's grasp on consciousness snapped as hard as his face against the pavement below him. The voltaic shield he'd raised, knowingly or not, fizzled and dispersed. So too, did the insulation he'd provided, and Vraska immediately choked on the dry, hot air that tasted like ozone.

"Zarek," she rasped as she approached hesitantly. "We need to get moving. I silenced our presence the best I could, but that light show is going to bring a decent size horde."

Blood pooled beneath his head, and Vraska's limited optimism dissipated the longer he laid motionless and unresponsive. She called his name again, kneeling an arm's length away and craning her head to get a good look at just how his head was split open. Vraska could sense a bead of life, but it was weak and faltering, and she knew she had to act quickly. 

Reaching out, she lifted him by the leather straps he wore so she could place her hand over his chest. His head lolled lifelessly and sharply enough, she worried she may snap his neck if she wasn't careful. Stabilizing his head, she frowned at the rough sight before her.

The skin around his eyes was burned and blistered, with empty, ashen sockets where the eyes had been. His throat was deeply bruised and blood dribbled down his chin to collect in his scarf, strengthened in flow by a decent gouge in his forehead that trailed down the nose and one side of his face.

He wheezed, his ragged breath was wet with blood, and it sounded like a final sigh of death. He was going to drown himself if she wasn't careful. Pushing Ral onto his back—a position that couldn't be comfortable given the bulky gear he wore—Vraska quickly placed a hand over his chest and around his throat as she closed her eyes and focused.

Her powers lent themselves well to killing, and doing it stealthily, but with the right resources she could invigorate rather than enervate those around her. There wasn't much life around them, the square already culled and plant life having withered and burned in its destruction. There was one resource she could sacrifice, as much as she didn't relish the option.

She hadn't bothered on Ixalan, not wanting to other herself with strange magic, but now that she was home once more, she'd worked on cultivating her own personal repertoire in the form of clothing. The fungal dress she wore contained a few dozen useful spores and poisons, as well as gorgeous lichen growth, but she had too little time to acquire another source of life. She drained it into a dry husk that served modesty and nothing more. 

Vraska had received several of the mushrooms as gifts to commemorate her ascension to queen, but she'd apologize to the kraul for wasting their gifts later. Right now, she had to focus on the sputtering life in her hands. She pushed his chin to the side with one thumb as he began to cough up bloody bile, nodding to herself at the improvement.

"You need to survive, Zarek," she whispered as she funneled more life magic into him and her once full dress withered to a tightly wrapped shell. "I will not bring back the news to Jace that you died on my watch."

Ral coughed some more but took his first full breath since they'd stopped running, and began to squirm and scrabble for purchase on the ground beneath him. "I- I can't see," he stuttered, his voice reedy and cutting out from how raspy it was. "I can't—What happened?"

His hands came up the hand around his throat, and he weakly tried to pry it away. 

"Stop," Vraska instructed reflexively, her skin crawling at another's touch. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she wanted to let go, but she wasn't done healing him yet. If she gave up now, he'd just bleed out more slowly than before.

Vraska sighed shakily with relief as his hands dropped to his sides, but it was short lived. As soon as she began to pull away, his hands snapped out to grab her by the wrist and elbow as he desperately cried out for her not to leave him. He couldn't get much in the way of coherent words out, but the intent was clear in its frantic pleading.

Bloodied and burned, Ral looked particularly pathetic as he whimpered for her to stay, and Vraska didn't have the heart to push him away. "Zarek, stop for a moment. I'll pick you up. I'll lead you, okay? But you have to let go of me."

Ral's heart was thumping hard enough he could barely hear, let alone understand her words, but just hearing someone speak to him in an even voice eased his thought process to slow down and assess the situation around him. He tried to speak back, but syllables jumbled messily, and all he could manage to say was rehashing the few words he had gotten out clearly already.

His mind burned.

His head felt like a red-hot iron was driven in, and his brains were squishing to accommodate it.

He wanted to remind his head that the brain itself could not feel pain, but he couldn't force those words out among the other nonsense he was slurring.

"We're only thirty minutes out," Vraska said calmly, lifting him with her as she stood. He was heavy, the weight of two sturdy men with all the metal he carried on him, and she had to put her all into deadlifting him for as much help as he was. He grasped investigatively less when she spoke, so she kept an ongoing narrative as she pulled one arm over her shoulder and weathered the etherium arm and dampener pinching her side.

She wanted to take a bath in acid, the feel of a practical stranger holding on to her so deeply unsettling.

He was too disoriented to follow her lead well, stumbling so chaotically she was nearly lifting him bodily just to get him to move the same direction as her. Over time, his attempts at communication ceased, and she could go longer without speaking before he became distressed enough to reach around haphazardly, and they walked in relative peace.

" _Vraska_ ," Jace's voice pressed into her mind.

Vraska returned the greeting with curiosity, and he quickly informed her they'd set up a camp for the night and the closest way there from where she was.

" _Thank you, I'll head over as quickly as possible._ "

" _Have you seen Ral?_ "

" _I'm carrying him_ ," Vraska thought with a little irritation. Ral wasn't very good at following her lead right now, and it was exhausting work walking him to safety.

" _You're… What? I can't feel his—_ "

Absolute panic afflicted Vraska, and it was difficult to remind herself that the terror wasn't hers. With a calming cadence in her thoughts, Vraska thought," _We're close. You'll see him shortly._ "

Jace's mental voice was still flustered as he said," _Yes, of course. Thank you, Captain._ "

Their link was severed, and Vraska had the barest hint that Jace was hurrying to her location from the fuzzy thoughts that wisped through her mind in the last second or two of contact. Ral was whining in the back of his throat from the constant jarring steps he was being subjected to in his current state, and beginning to show more signs of consciousness.

"We're almost there. Jace is on his way," she said levelly, though she wanted to push him away so badly as his hand over her shoulder reached up and found one of her tendrils. She winced as he squeezed and gritted out," If we can walk faster, we can get to Jace sooner."

The thought that the sooner they reached Jace, the sooner she could be rid of Ral was paramount in her motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It was brutal tedium to walk forward, but even with the stress on her shoulders and the invasive fingers here and there, she didn't envy the position Ral was in.

His throat was lined with burst capillaries, and bruises were smudged across most of his neck and face. The weak hold on consciousness he had was enough to be aware of agony and little else.

Vraska's eyes were constantly roaming, keeping an eye out since she was now alone on vigil, and they didn't stop their hectic search until they landed on a cloaked figure swiftly approaching.

"Jace," Vraska said, standing a little taller from her bowed stance walking with Ral had left her.

Jace's face was not nearly so relieved, and she couldn't blame him. Bright blue eyes glistening with the fear one could only experience on another's behalf, Jace's mouth fell wide as he ran closer. Confusion lined his face and his eyes flashed with ethereal light as he approached.

He could only sense one mind in the area as he neared, and his heart felt dead in his chest until he heard Ral moan in pain. _He was alive_ , Jace thought with misty eyes. He seemed disoriented, though awake, which set off as many alarm bells as it quieted. Seeing he was alive, but still not feeling the roiling storm he should have felt, Jace looked from Ral to Vraska, demanding answers.

She was harried, trying to keep the punchdrunk man from grabbing her tendrils while still supporting him and grimacing at the godly effort. The fact she was holding him, letting someone hold onto her, didn't escape Jace's notice either, and only made his sinking stomach churn.

Vraska was now only paces away, and Jace could see the gorey mess that made up Ral's face. Stopping in his tracks, Jace blanched and asked," What happened?"

The confusion of feeling Vraska's mind approach alone paled in comparison to the dread of seeing just how brutalized Ral was. His eyes dropped to the silver—no, etherium—arm at Ral's hip, and nausea welled dangerously behind his lips. Before he could follow up with a second, more precise question, Ral was pushing away so he could stumble in the direction of Jace's voice.

Vraska tried very half-heartedly to stop Ral. "You're going to fall," she protested, and looked away as she was proven right. Jace rushed to his side, but couldn't catch him in time and only managed to slow his descent a tad with telekinesis.

Kneeling down beside Ral, Jace held him in his arms and tried to get a close look at him. Jace's voice was soft as he tried to ask Ral directly. "It's okay, it'll be okay. What happened?" 

He knew they'd gone off for a secret mission, and it wasn't unexpected they came back a little worse for wear, but this… As Ral buried closer and closer to his chest—denying a good look at his face—and found himself unable to answer, Jace abandoned words and simply pressed for answers mentally.

That was a mistake, he quickly learned, as he found Ral's mind to be fractured glass. Trying to step foot into the splintered psyche was like trying to sweep up a broken mirror with one's bare hands, and Jace recoiled physically and held his head in one hand, turning towards Vraska and once more demanding out loud," What happened?"

"We killed Tezzeret," Vraska answered softly, taken aback by raw force behind Jace's voice. She'd only ever witnessed that level of passion coming from the man when he defended her in front of Azor.

Jace looked up to her with a faint expression and barely a ghost of a voice. "He did this?"

"No," Ral murmured, hands curling into Jace's cloak. The familiar feeling of being wrapped in Jace's arms with his cloak around them seemed so peaceful right now, and he tried to worm his way even closer. 

"Then what—"

"Niv-Mizzet's dead," Ral said raggedly, feeling sick as he said it. The Izzet Leage's parun… his leader, his mentor, the biggest pain in his ass, his confidant in all of this prelude to war… Niv-Mizzet had built him up and torn him down more times than Ral could count. Niv-Mizzet was the cause of who Ral was today. Niv-Mizzet had stricken down his chances at glory more reliably than his own self-sabotaging brain, and bestowed the highest honors upon him. 

Ral felt he might pass out again as all of his unresolved feelings washed over him. Anxiety added to his dizziness and his heart was either hammering or dead silent, he couldn't tell. 

_Niv-Mizzet was dead._

The Izzet League was robbed of their leader.

_What would they do without Niv-Mizzet?_

Ral might have been hyperventilating, and he wished he could look to Jace's face for support. A keening whine left him, and Jace's hands were instantly attentive, soothing his back and squeezing one shoulder.

"You're sure?" Jace brushed Ral's hair out of his face gently as Ral pulled back like he may try to stand once more. He winced as he saw Ral's face, looking to Vraska once more for an explanation. She shook her head, unable to give one.

"I was—the firemind, I connected to the firemind," Ral explained, his words disjointed as he pushed through his pain to be more cognizant. Focusing enough to form comprehensible words was torture with how much he wanted to curl up and turn his brain off. "It, um, it was—fuck. He reached out in his last moment. He needed to—I know how to operate the Dragon Spine."

Niv-Mizzet's secret weapon: the plan he'd hidden so well from Tezzeret, that Ral himself hadn't known much about it until less than an hour ago.

Ral brought one hand close to his ruined eyes, hissing in pain as his fingers lighted upon his cheek. "He burned out my eyes," he said, disbelief still swirling through his foggy mind.

"He did more than that," Jace whispered, gingerly brushing dirt and blood from Ral's chin and baring his teeth uncomfortably as he tried to gauge where open wounds were to avoid them. He ripped a decent portion of his cloak—his heart ached with more worry as Ral didn't give him shit for destroying the cloak he'd bought him less than a week ago—and tied it around Ral's head with whispered apologies as Ral flinched from the pain.

Jace felt a little numb as he tried to take all of this in. It was still difficult for him to reconcile that he was in Ral's presence; it was like viewing a broken vase, seeing porcelain shards and figuring after the fact they must have been one piece by how patterns picked up across the now disconnected pieces. He'd hadn't even recognized there were two minds approaching until he physically saw Ral and tried to make contact.

"I can leave you two alone," Vraska spoke up. Drawing on the echoes of knowledge she'd picked up from Jace's mind, she added," You should still be warded this close to the camp."

Jace squeezed Ral's shoulder gently and asked," What would be best?"

 _Jace asked him a question_ , Ral thought, and he groaned as he tried to decipher its intricate meanings and come up with words that made sense to reply with.

"I would kill for a—" Ral broke off uncomfortably and revised his statement. "I could really go for a cup of coffee and some sleep."

"Okay, let's make that happen," Jace said, then grunted as he lifted Ral with him as he stood. He reached out mentally to Vraska, letting her know quickly what would be most useful to him right now, and she agreed with a stiff nod.

Reticence laced her thoughts as she thought," _I'm sorry I couldn't protect him. We…_ "

Jace met her gaze as he began leading Ral to the ad hoc sleeping area they'd arranged, and smiled ruefully. " _There's little can be done to convince Ral otherwise once he's made up his mind._ "

Vraska's lips pressed thin as she snapped back," _I wasn't helplessly strongarmed into agreeing to his plan._ "

" _No, I mean… He probably had a pretty good argument for this one, didn't he?_ " Seeing Tezzeret's arm hanging at Ral's hip still haunted him, but knowing Tezzeret was dead was liberating.

Affirmation blossomed in his mind, bringing with it a sense of the feelings she'd felt the day she agreed to Ral and Lavinia's plans. The need to protect her crewmember—her friend—was overpowering, and Jace dwelled on it with a mix of embarrassment and gratefulness.

" _You had no control over Niv-Mizzet's death._ "

She agreed again, but reluctantly—guiltily. He was reminded of the guilt she felt regaining her memories and realizing she'd almost killed her dearest friend. She still felt culpable for returning to work for Bolas despite their agreeing on the plan before leaving Ixalan, and she would feel responsible for every negative outcome this war resulted in.

" _You had no control over Niv-Mizzet's death_ ," Jace repeated more affirmatively.

Vraska glared at him, but averted her eyes and nodded begrudgingly.

"Come on, let's get you back," Jace said as he pulled Ral to start walking with him.

Ral struggled to hold onto the alertness Jace had inspired, and he thought back to their shared history and remembered the mastery over scrying and sense-sharing Jace had. He was reluctant to resume shuffling through the debris laden streets, and asked tentatively," Can you lend me your sight or something?"

"I, um…" Jace nervously poked Ral's mind with the lightest touch he could muster and hissed in pain and frustration as he gritted out," I can't. I can't touch your mind."

Ral turned his head with an expression of worry, and Jace quickly followed up with," I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just…" He whistled as he tried to think of how to convey how immensely shattered Ral's mind was.

"It's going to take a long time to piece your mind back together," Jace finished weakly. "We'll get through this."

Ral didn't like the sound of that and didn't feel reassured like Jace meant to leave him. "What does… What does that mean?"

"I have a feeling you might experience migraines like I did my first weeks on Ravnica. Your mind feels like someone took a sledgehammer to it," Jace answered uneasily, reluctant to deliver the bad news.

Ral groaned at this theory and pressed close to Jace as he nearly fell again.

They walked in silence for a minute or two before Jace nervously bit his lip and looked over to Vraska. " _So… Tezzeret is dead?_ "

Disbelief rose sickly behind his projected words, and Vraska made an effort not to feel offended. She was good at her job as an assassin, but she understood why he had his doubts. Ral had told her how Tezzert's first death was temporary. He'd had to kill Tezzeret several times over just to believe they'd won. " _Look in my memories._ "

Jace's eyebrows rose with shock. Speaking telepathically wasn't very typical for them, and he'd been strictly forbidden from reading the crew's minds. Seeing consent line her eyes, along with a healthy dose of discomfort, Jace proceeded anxiously. He knew it would be unsettling to see Tezzeret dead or alive, and from the expression Vraska wore, it had been messy enough to make her uncomfortable.

It was simple enough to look in and see the emotive smiting Tezzeret had been killed through, and relief bloomed in his chest as he saw that she had completely destroyed his body so he may not be risen again.

Jace let out a sigh he hadn't meant to hold, and whispered," Thank you, both of you."

"It was my idea," Ral piped up, earning an unimpressed stare from Vraska and withheld laughter from Jace.

" _He's insufferable._ "

Vraska hadn't meant to share, it had just been her kneejerk reaction, but their connection had still been open. Worried, she flashed her eyes to meet Jace's, afraid he'd be upset with her for such an assessment. 

A lopsided grin pulled at his lips and he replied," _I know._ "

Vraska couldn't help the forlorn crest to her expression as she added," _But you love him._ " Her gaze dropped to how Ral's cheek rested against Jace's chest as the two of them trudged together, the artificer's expression pained but trusting.

She was suddenly informed telepathically Jace had two boyfriends, this man and another named Gideon.

" _I'm sorry, Vraska. I never meant to lead you on._ "

Vraska wasn't sure if she'd accidentally conveyed her disappointment, or if Jace was just intuiting, but either way, she smiled as she asked," _Do they make you happy?_ "

Jace had misty eyes as he nodded.

" _Then I'm happy for you._ "

He could feel the honesty behind her thoughts and smiled with relief.

" _You are truly a great friend, Vraska, and I look forward to this all being over. We still need to get coffee and go book shopping._ "

Vraska chuckled a little, and nodded. It was easier resuming silence knowing her best friend still cared for her.

The three of them were pulling into the camp proper, and drew a fair amount of attention.

"That doesn't look good," Teferi commented, looking up from where he sat. Dried sweat stained his brow and inner robe and he needed the support of his cane to stand up with how weary he was.

"It's not," Jace replied, grimacing.

Looking suddenly embarrassed as he realized they'd turned a corner into an area with people, Ral immediately snapped to standing on his own and embellished," No, it fucking isn't. Niv-Mizzet's dead."

No one wanted to admit it, but all had suspected he would fall in his fight against Bolas. A quiet tension fell over the gathered people, not knowing how to respond to the information. Knowing the two dragons were no longer fighting meant that Bolas may be searching them out right now to quash the meager resistance where it stood.

Chandra looked around to her crestfallen teammates around her and stated confidently," We just have to end it tomorrow then." Niv-Mizzet had been buying them time, and they needed a night to rest, but clearly striking back was their last option.

Dack was leaning off to the side with his arms crossed, feeling a lot less comfortable with these random people he barely knew. He laughed at this suggestion and commented," Finish him? We can't even get near him. Your boy in shining armor is still out there trying."

Ral held out a hand for Jace to hold as he cried out," Gideon's still—"

"He's with Nissa and Emarra. They're clearing out a fallen building," Chandra supplied, hearing the anxious pitch to his voice. "They're supporting it so it doesn't collapse further while he's escorting survivors out. They should be back soon."

"Why don't we get you some rest. We could all use it," Jace said, looking around at the dispirited and exhausted crew. "Maybe Ajani could…?"

He met Ajani's gaze, who was already nodding, and grabbed Ral's bicep to lead him to a more private room. Jace guiltily made a note to announce his intentions next time, watching how Ral flinched at the sudden contact and receiving a mess of static even through his reactionary dismissal of drawn mana. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"I'm just getting used to this," Ral mumbled self consciously, feeling watched and hating he couldn't verify it.

Jace gave a soft squeeze to reassure Ral, but frowned at how helpless he felt to actually make anything better.

Helping Ral to sit on an unclaimed bed, Jace looked to Ajani with hopeful eyes.

Ajani's deep voice was ever a comforting sound as he announced," I'm going to hold your head, okay?"

"I, uh, I'm bad at accepting healing, so you know. Like, stop-your-heart bad."

"Don't worry about me," Ajani assured him. "I will be prepared."

Ral grimaced as he realized he couldn't roll his eyes anymore and that attempting had moved muscles that now hurt to flex. Eyebrows drawn with uncertainty, he softly called Jace's name.

"I'm right here," Jace replied, sitting beside Ral and placing a hand on his knee.

"Okay, I'm ready," Ral said, and held his breath in anticipation.

Ajani laid his hands on either side of Ral's face, cupping his head in his large paws like he was a mere cub. Before he could channel any energy however, Ral startled him with a surprised exclamation and paltry shock.

"Woah, I wasn't expecting a bear."

Jace snickered into one hand, and Ajani himself chuckled good-heartedly. "I'm a nacatl, a leonin, actually."

"Really? Because the articulated fingers would suggest—"

"Ral," Jace interjected with a disapproving sigh. "I think he knows a bit better."

"You say that like you know who you are half the time," Ral bickered, but blushed at the reasonable call out.

"Ral!"

"This would be easier if you two were a bit quieter," Ajani rumbled with a long-suffering sigh, cleaning Ral's jaw and forehead gently with a few passes of hieromancy.

Jace blushed and muttered an apology, hand finding itself tangled in Ral's scarf by the back of his neck, holding on tight to ease his embarrassment and agitation. Ral refused to apologize when he was currently ailed, but he did bite down his next comment and jut his chin out to make clear he was ready for whatever Ajani may be preparing to do.

Something in the very fiber of his being felt like it was being held tightly, and the pain and mental fog began to disappear like the relief putting pressure on an inflamed injury could offer. Ral let out a shuddering breath, so overwhelmed by the sudden relief, and stuttered out some vague statement of gratitude.

With newfound clarity, Ral asked," So how are my eyes looking?"

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for them in such a state. I've helped a little with the pain, and I can heal over the burns, but—"

"No, no, just leave it then. Maybe there are Simic options. I don't want to limit my choices."

Ajani withdrew his hands with a chuff of acknowledgement. "Very well. I've eased some of the pain in your soul, but I can't mend the fractures I feel."

"My soul?" Ral's voice was dubious at the concept, and both Ravnicans pulled a face at something so unscientific as a _soul_.

"Yes, it's intact, but disrupted, like a pool with ripples. I suspect the cause of the disturbance may be more in your realm of expertise," Ajani expounded, glancing to Jace who wore a thin lipped expression with far off eyes.

Jace nodded as he took this in, affecting a clinical tone as he said," I have experience with stitching a mind back together, but it's delicate and time-consuming work. Nothing we can start right now."

Ral's head tipped in the direction of the door as he heard someone enter, and his static field intensified so he could roughly make out the room's inhabitants.

"Vraska brought your coffee," Jace murmured, rubbing Ral's back.

"I'm glad I don't have hair," Vraska commented as she walked in and noticed the cloud of fur Ajani had become and the very unfortunate hair day Jace was now experiencing. She walked up confidently and stopped before Ral with the coffee. Sparing Jace a look to inquire as to the general state of things, she kept her voice clear of his dour shake of the head as she informed," Holding it chest height, arm's length away."

Ral reached out hesitantly, curling his fingers around the mug as soon as he found it and bringing it close to smell.

"He would like to express his gratitude," Jace flatly excused, earning a half-assed thanks from Ral.

Vraska regarded him with the proper level of disbelief. "I'm sure. Jace, I could use your expertise defending our current perimeter."

"But Ral…"

Ral shook his head and said," I need rest or something anyways, right?"

He knew from Jace's unhappy hum that they both knew the strategic thing to do was let Jace work, and Ral breathed in deeply through his nose and sighed. "I'll still be here. We need to take care of Ravnica. Please."

Leaning close, Jace murmured," I'll be nearby if you need me. Just let someone know, and I'll be right there."

Jace was keeping tabs on everyone right now, and his neural web covered everyone in camp save Ral and Karn. So far, only Teferi had called him out on it, purposefully filling his mind with bad jokes for his own amusement. At first Jace had worried it would be difficult to maintain, like the agony that mere seconds linking the maze runners had caused him, but as he sustained it first with Vraska's advisors, then with all of camp, he found it easier and easier to keep up.

His own prowess was beginning to scare him.

Now was not the time to navel gaze or self-consciously limit himself though. Ral was right, he needed to focus on Ravnica.

Ral tried to pinpoint where Jace was exactly and plant a kiss, missing and landing on his jaw near his ear. "I'll be okay. Go be a big damn hero."

Jace kissed Ral back, and whispered," I love you."

Ral grinned, though it hurt to do so, and said as irritably as he could manage," Love you too. Now let me sleep."


	39. Chapter 39

Kaya hurdled out of the way as a chilling beam of light tried to rip through her form. Pivoting hard, she turned her momentum to bring her between the next bolt of energy and Teysa, parrying it with great effort and a touch of intangibility. 

"Save your magic for fighting them; I can protect myself," Teysa snapped, her tone clipped out of necessity as she quickly returned to incanting her champion in the fight. She couldn't touch the Obzedat, nor could she use their gifts, but she could still wield a brand of heiromancy and protect her interests.

Kaya shrugged at the rude delivery and returned her focus to the six clustered ghosts. She was used to apparitions, more feeling than form; she was used to geists, mirror images of who they were in life. Some ghosts were fuzzy around the edges, and some were crystal clear in their definition. With a bit of a sneer, Kaya kind of wished these ghosts were less defined.

They seemed almost caricatures, meant to horrify and unsettle, but it was almost surely their dedication to gaudy presentation. Knobby hands held too many rings, and they were hunched from the weight of gold they'd worn in life.

She couldn't lay a finger on them while they huddled for safety, but Kaya ran through the chamber quickly, heading for the large tapestries hung across the far wall. She had to wield the environment around her if she was to win this fight.

Kaya grabbed either side as high up as she could reach and heaved herself off the floor as she started climbing the first one she made it to.

They were heavy silk. Gold thread lined many of the figures in the art and jewels studded the designs so liberally that Kaya would have torn her hands up on them if she weren't wearing gloves. 

It was too wide to bring her hands together for a cohesive climb, so bunched the thick fabric and pulled herself up in choppy motions, keeping her elbows bent and close to her chest and inching up either side with sheer determination. Her legs bent and crossed behind her, desperate to lock on and aid her body in its ascent, but having to make do with simply making sure they didn't flail.

Teysa was calling her name, and Kaya gritted her teeth as she called back," A little busy!"

Frowning at the dismissal, Teysa bitterly thought that her hired assassin wouldn't be alive enough to be busy if she didn't take her warnings a little more seriously. She waited until the last second, watching as the Obzedat prepared the lash of energy and aimed at Kaya, then threw her all into defending Kaya.

As the pale rays left the spectral hands, Teysa threw up her hands to weave a spell into being. She felt unsteady without the support of her cane and knew she'd fall if she had to move at all suddenly, but protecting Kaya was more important than her pride or a little stiffness from a bad fall; this spell required too much outside of her practiced wheelhouse for her to make do with subtle flicks of one hand and a well placed smile. 

Closing her eyes as she imagined the spell she focused on, Teysa pulled on training that was considerably new to her in her long lived life. She'd only begun studying it three years ago, and then, it had been more of a means to spend time with the person teaching it than to learn. She bent her wrists back and crossed her arms slightly, splaying her fingers so they brushed each other briefly before snapping her hands into fists and reaching out towards her point of focus with all her might.

Studying hieromancy outside of Orzhova discipline was strictly forbidden. Of course a leadership that wasn't built on succession so much as attrition would be opposed to acquiring knowledge outside their " _benevolence_ ". Unfortunately for the Obzedat, Teysa had always been willing to look elsewhere; and fortunately for her, she had found someone who understood what drove her.

Teysa knew they would overwhelm her spell, it was merely tithing, and they had plenty of resources to draw on, but it distracted them enough. She was able to follow up and make slinging any spell at Kaya particularly taxing, and having depleted their energy on her first arcane snipe, they had to regroup their efforts before they could target the assassin again.

Her satisfied smirk as she dissipated their spell with illegal magic was strained as she had to dodge their frustrated lash of enervation. As she suspected, she fell and hit the marble floor, but even as her hip cracked painfully and her chin jarred against the smooth rock, Teysa kept up the protective spell she'd wrapped around Kaya. This fight was everything. She had no option but to put everything on the line and pull out all the stops. Ravnica couldn't afford for her to lose, and she wouldn't sit back on her destiny any longer.

Kaya felt the protection wash over her as geometric runes gleamed across her body briefly and she looked back over her shoulder to see all the force sapped out of a chilling spell. 

Her keen eyes also quickly keyed in on Teysa, recovering on the ground, and a member of the Obzedat breaking away to see to her demise. Nostrils flaring as she exerted the strength to hold herself up with one arm, Kaya let out a scream from deep in her chest as she used a dagger and quickly sliced a good deal through the tapestry she clung to.

The tear coupled with her weight was enough to pull it apart, descending her to the ground at a reasonable pace with a large piece of fabric trailing behind as she made a dash for Teysa.

The council member that was almost within arm reach of Teysa looked up as Kaya approached and reached their gaunt hands her way, necromantic energy pulling at Kaya's very essence. Spinning a dagger to forward grip, Kaya slashed out precisely, nicking the wrists with her glowing dagger.

The ghost screamed in pain, and Kaya crouched low and spun out of the way as it readjusted to try and get a better swipe at her. Her arm faded out of sight as she grabbed the ghastly tendrils their opulent robes faded into, and she tugged harshly.

The ghost couldn't exactly fall, but their balance was affected enough so as to make it simple for Kaya to pull them with her a few steps before letting go and holding her dagger at the right height for them to run themself through.

Kaya wasn't sure they were completely dead, but they were removed from combat enough for her to focus on her next target. 

"You're a fool to work with that treacherous brat," one of the ghosts snarled, their gaunt face twisting with hatred as much as fear, and Kaya decided to kill that ghost next.

She couldn't get a good lunge in when they were all gathered, and she didn't have the proper gear to attack from a distance, but with this long strip of fabric, she could entangle one out away from their compatriots. With a confident grin, Kaya bunched the tapestry in one hand with plenty of loose fabric hanging free and sprinted towards the group.

Her plan was obvious, and they only banded closer together, but Kaya was prepared for this.

She took one dagger and plunged it through the bunched edge of the tapestry, sending it ethereally through the marble floor almost halfway up the blade before dropping her intangibility on it and using it as an anchor as she stopped her mad dash and dropped to her knees on top of of the run of cloth.

She slid quickly, the beautifully waxed marble offering little resistance to silk, and bent low to the ground as she aimed herself directly underneath their floating forms. By the time they realized what was happening, she was on the other side, jumping to her feet and holding the tapestry high as she extended her magic as far as she could manage.

Kaya had aimed perfectly, setting it so as she began to run clockwise, she dragged only two ghosts away—including the one to rudely call out. Her thighs burned as she pushed herself to run enough to double back to her planted dagger before the ghosts made their way out of her grasp. 

One did escape, and Kaya complained with some ire as she tried to stop her momentum and the waxed floors that had just helped now hindered. She slid to falling on her back, but she avoided the deadly ray of magic that had her name on it, so she considered a victory—a painful victory, but victory nonetheless as she kipped up to her feet and jumped into a killing lunge at the spirit no longer wrapped in the tapestry.

Her violet blade ripped across the chest of the ghost, and she pushed hard so it tore the essence asunder. Kaya landed next to her other dagger and grabbed it just in time to cut away the incoming spectral hand, cutting it out of existence before the being could get their revenge. 

With both blades held backhand, Kaya closed the distance between herself and the ghost that was just freeing themself from the no longer ethereal tapestry. She eviscerated the target quickly, then looked around to see where the rest had disappeared to.

Evidently they decided staying arm in arm was no longer the safest way to avoid a final death, but Kaya had been assured that they would stick close, and none would try to leave the chamber. The deals that allowed them such a prolonged afterlife had bound them to each others' fates, and while they had made a guild out of backstabbing, they couldn't leave one of the other council members to suffer alone, even to save themself.

Kaya finished the job on the first spirit she'd downed, putting them out of their misery as she waited for a ghost to reveal themself.

"Did you see where they hid?" Kaya asked as she approached Teysa and offered a hand up. Teysa pointed to her cane, and Kaya quickly retrieved it for her.

"Thank you," Teysa said, accepting the help with a polite smile as she began to dust herself off. "No, I didn't…"

Teysa fell silent as she tested her magic, then grinned a little sinisterly as she confirmed their hold over her had weakened. They still dampened much of her guild magic, but they couldn't hold everything back, and diffusing an enchantment such as a simple evasive act was definitely back on the table.

Holding one hand in front of herself, fingers curled as spectral mist gathered as an orb of magic in her grip, Teysa chanted and the small globe quickly became a miniature black sun, illuminating the room in its profane glow. Enough of the binding magic that held her prowess back had been removed, and she could press against their enchantments and have her hired assassin _finish this_.

The sun exploded in light as it found what she sought, and the council reappeared unwillingly. Kaya and Teysa both gripped their chests as pain constricted around their hearts, and Teysa grimaced as she chastised herself for not being prepared for their life draining.

"Teysa, behind you!"

Kaya's call was just a moment's breath before icy spears pressed into her back, high between the shoulder blades, and Teysa angrily shouted," You kill them all no matter what! My contract will still work and Ravnica will—"

It was the last free statement she could make before the presence overwhelmed her mind and began to pilot her body. No longer constrained by half-broken hieromantic bindings, Teysa's call on magic surged and she drew another black sun, this one ready to consume all living matter in a devastating radius.

Kaya seemed to blink out of existence, she moved so quickly, and as a glowing, purple hand landed by her hip, Teysa momentarily feared death for the first time in her life. Like all things in her long-lived life, she faced her fear with decorum, and she welcomed it if it meant Ravnica would be saved. She would have the last laugh, after all, having brought the Obzedat down as she'd always promised herself she would.

The hand that she had seen holding a dagger only seconds ago was empty, and Teysa began to black out as she felt Kaya's necroform pressing against her soul, contending for control against a ghost that was thousands of years old. The experience that this council member held was undeniable, but he had grown complacent in his long unlife, and he'd not kept up practice.

Their merged soul was formidable, pushing out the decrepit ghost with fervor. In that instant, they could both feel what drove the other, the complete opposites of their beliefs crashing into and filling in each other more chaotically than either was used to. They both sought the end to people holding wealth and power into centuries of unlife; they both desired a fair world for the living, and both were willing to carve it out themselves—though Teysa reveled in wrapping the law around her vision and Kaya was willing to ignore the law to see her ends met.

Teysa's eyes moved without her volition and she saw the sickly ghost before her and her arm raising to grab him by the throat. Kaya piloted them to take hold, and with their shared knowledge, drove the head of her cane just below the ribs and upwards, using it's concealed knife efficiently with her necroform's aid.

Only two more ghosts to go, but she couldn't hold on to Teysa much longer without risking both their health. She stepped out of the body dizzily, letting Teysa stumble and fall as the disorientation drew heaving breaths from the advokist and warned she may be sick. Kaya didn't feel much better, but she had trained to keep fighting through it.

Teysa was more resilient than Kaya gave her credit for. The binds on her power as loose as they were now, the advokist pulled tight on the heiromancy of the chamber around her, and Kaya felt a wave of vitality that could only come at someone else's debilitation.

Frenzied layers of magic were descending up Kaya, trying to rip apart her soul in a last ditch effort to save themselves. She ran closer to the source despite the pain it caused, tasting the victory within her grasp.

The last two ghosts were simple to remove with Teysa's spellwork aiding her, and Kaya viciously ripped them apart for quick, merciful second deaths. 

The battle hadn't been exceedingly loud, but the opulent chamber seemed eerily quiet now, the only sound echoing through it being Kaya's tired panting and whispered spellcasting. Kaya felt entirely drained, the supportive magic dropped from her entirely and the metaphysical wounds from the Obzedat's strikes stinging like strained muscles.

Looking back to where she'd left Teysa, Kaya observed the woman in the midst of fervent casting, sealing the heiromantic energy that they'd freed to herself with blood curdling whispers. Her eyes glowed an impossible black as she looked up at something Kaya couldn't see, and Kaya glowered. She knew more now, having touched Teysa's soul for the briefest of moments.

She waited patiently, unwilling to rudely interrupt Teysa's spellwork. Kaya knew the importance that she complete what she set out to do.

When Teysa fell silent, she sank further to the ground, resting her forehead to its smooth, chill embrace as she bit down a whimper at the pain beginning to pull at her chest. She'd known what she was getting herself into, but knowing about and _actually feeling_ the weight every debt that had been held by six united ancient ghosts was different.

"I know about your contract," Kaya said softly, remembering the chilling energy that had rested against her soul, promising ghosthood to its promisee upon her death. "And I know that while you are guildleader, you have the power to broker an extension ad nauseum."

Teysa pushed herself up to sitting on her side, typically prim hair in disarray and a sickly sheen of sweat clinging to her too-pale face. Her whole body betrayed pain. The contracts weighed on her soul, making breathing almost impossible; and both falls she'd taken exacerbated the general stiffness in her leg and her chronic pain.

Though existence itself felt like burning alive, Teysa squared her shoulders and straightened her back regally the best she could as she argued," You know I detest the Obzedat's endless greed, buying millenia to rule over a guild they cared nothing for other than as way to make more money."

"Power corrupts fancy ideals," Kaya said from experience. "And the temptation of a powerful afterlife makes said corruption all the easier."

"You helped me achieve this position. Are you going to depose me so swiftly?"

Kaya walked up to Teysa and offered a hand up, which the new guildleader took appreciatively. They both groaned wearily at the strain, but stood together shortly after. Kaya could feel the binding magic that tethered countless souls to Teysa's own, and she narrowed her eyes as she locked her gaze with Teysa's, still holding the slim hand in her own tightly.

Neither broke their stare until Kaya decided," No."

Teysa couldn't entirely refrain from exhaling with relief.

"Ravnica needs that dragon's support, and I suspect your aid will only help in this war."

Teysa smirked and said," You're right."

Kaya's expression didn't hold such joy as her eyes set hard with determination and she knew what she had to promise herself. She couldn't take out a plane's ghostly leadership and instate a future ghostly tyrant in their place lightly.

"I'll return to Ravnica though. I'll ensure you don't take your role into undeath," Kaya warned. She would make sure to come back decades from now and see to it that the Orzhov had a new leader or was getting one by murder if need be.

"I don't intend to," Teysa said solemnly, and Kaya found she believed it.

Before Kaya could say anything further, the air around them began to grow suddenly hot and black, spectral light whipped into a vortex of flames licking the walls and ceiling. Kaya pulled Teysa close, a protective arm instinctually around her as her other hand readied a dagger for the new threat.

"We were none too early," Teysa commented, having to yell over the torrent of ghostly flames. They filled the entire chamber, but delicately wrapped around Teysa and Kaya's huddled form mere inches from touching them. The heat was sculpted so as not to burn, but only just barely.

The fire burned itself out after a few seconds, but the tempest was replaced by glowing red scales covering a large body coiled around them and white flames spreading across the floor with an angry snort from the very livid dragon.

He took several slow breaths, live coals seeming to burn brighter with each one just below his armored scales. Every exhale was accompanied by white-gold flames that dispersed across the ground.

Breathing in with a gastly rattle, Niv-Mizzet's voice shook through the chamber like thunder as he declared," I will see that ugly salamander roasted on a _spit_."


End file.
